


Praying

by Moon_Cube



Category: The Wilds (TV 2020)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fluff, Smut, The shark attack didn’t happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:42:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28337898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Cube/pseuds/Moon_Cube
Summary: If Shelby had been there when Fatin asked: “Who has got off here?” she’d have put her hand up. Toni finds out.Their relationship continues on from there.
Relationships: Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe
Comments: 218
Kudos: 1594





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please can people write more Shoni fic, I'm so desperate to have some I've written it myself.

Shelby still hadn't been ready to talk about it yet. Which was fine, Toni had quickly decided. There was a calmness in Toni she'd never know before. It was totally okay that Shelby needed time and space to figure things out for herself. Toni was more than happy to give her that. God knows she seemed to need it. They had spent a lot of time together in the days following the night under the lychee tree. Toni had spent many private moments listening to snippets of Shelby's life back home that she chose to share. And her heart ached for the poor girl. She would do this at her pace and make sure Shelby was as comfortable and free as she could be while she finally could be. 

  


Shelby had kissed Toni again on a trip to collect fresh water. They walked in the sand with their feet in the ocean while everyone slept one night, close enough for their shoulders to keep brushing. Toni had given Shelby's hand a playful nudge and Shelby's immediate response was to grab hold of it and hold on tightly. Shelby glanced shyly at their hands and then at Toni who smiled and squeezed tighter. They didn't speak about it. And that was okay, Toni was just happy to spend any time with Shelby that she could. They spilled their lives and secrets to each other during walks to collect firewood and at night by the fire the wood they collected helped keep going. Only a few weeks ago, Toni thought she didn't like the girl but now she was absolutely falling every single second for her. She desperately wanted to know if Shelby felt anything the same, she wanted to hear it, for it to be real but letting Shelby go at her own pace was more important to her. 

  


"Where's Shelby?" Toni asked approaching the group of girls laying on their backs, interrupting whatever they had been talking about. She shouldered her little white bag off her back and squinted in the sun at the group. 

  


"She's gone to the waterfall for her whore bath, thought you would have bumped into each other..." Fatin lowered her sunglasses briefly to grin at Toni who rolled her eyes. 

  


Toni didn't reply. She left the group, taking the towel she'd just used to wash to hang out to dry. She'd washed it under the waterfall after using it and wrung it out to dry as best she could. She figured it was better than washing it in the ocean. 

  


Toni figured she could get some fresh water and maybe walk back with Shelby from the waterfall, so she gathered some empty bottles and dropped them into her bag without a word and headed back into the woods. She'd do something at least a little useful as an excuse to spend some more time with Shelby, she supposed. 

  


When Toni arrived back at the water, Shelby was nowhere to be found. They had discovered a few different routes to the water source so it wasn't entirely surprising that they seemed to have missed crossing paths twice today. However, they usually came together and always took the same route. Toni filled the bottles quickly, keen to get back and sit with the rest of the girls who she had grown to really like over the last few weeks. Not that she'd admit that. 

  


Toni decided to take the lesser used route, so she didn't have to walk the same way for the fourth time that day. She headed off into the trees, the bottles clanging together in her bag. A few minutes into the walk, Toni stopped in her tracks noticing a flash of still wet blonde hair perched against a tree a few meters off the track. It was Shelby. Toni's brow furrowed, wondering what she was doing. Surely there were better places for some time alone, she could sit on the beach under the sun or on top of the windy dunes for a nice breeze. She may have just happened across a nice spot on her way back after washing, Toni concluded. She tucked her thumbs into the strings of her bag and edged silently closer to Shelby. She'd just check that she was okay and then let her be. Maybe she was praying, Toni didn't want to interrupt, so she stepped closer silently. 

  


And then she stopped dead in her tracks when she rounded the path that gave her a clearer view of Shelby. Her mouth dropped quietly opened and then she swallowed slowly. Shelby's shorts were pushed down to her mid thigh and her right hand disappeared underneath her underwear. Her left hand was pushed up inside her yellow shirt and her head was tilted back against the tree. 

  


"Fuck." Was the only word repeatedly crossing Toni's mind. Toni's eyes dropped from Shelby's face to the hand in her shirt to the hand in her underwear, to the shorts pushed down to her thighs and back again. Before she could avert her eyes, turn away or make any other decision, her foot slipped on the rock she was balanced on, and she fell, crashing loudly to the forest floor. Shelby's hand's immediately snapped out of her shirt and underwear and her head whipped to the side to find Toni bounding back to her feet, her face flushed a deep red. 

  


"I wasn't watching!" Toni quickly called, before Shelby could say a word, nervously brushing dirt from her shorts and t shirt, eyes wide, locked on Shelby's. "I mean I seen...but I wasn't watching." Toni tried again, taking a step closer to Shelby still nervously brushing leaves from her clothes. "Like I saw you, and I was coming over and then I...." She chuckled nervously without a smile, desperately trying to explain that she hadn't been creeping on the girl. "I only just noticed... I was... I wasn't just like hiding behind some trees watching you...do what you're doing." Toni swallowed then cringed outwardly at her words. What the fuck was she saying? She decided to shut up. Shelby shuffled her shorts back in place and stood up while Toni stumbled over her words. They stared awkwardly at each other for a few long moments and then Shelby burst out laughing. 

  


A wave of relief passed through Toni, and she started laughing too. Before long the two were laughing hysterically at each other, Shelby doubled over, wiping tears from her eyes. Toni crossed over the path to her while they laughed. 

  


"I thought you were praying." Toni chuckled when she closed the short distanced, reaching her hand out giving Shelby's shoulder a playful shove. 

  


"Praying!" Shelby echoed shaking her head, still laughing. "Lord. You ever saw anyone pray with their hand between their legs?" Toni's eyes widened in surprise at the girl, and they laughed again. 

  


"I might join you for prayers if that's what it involves." Toni teased, a few moments passing before they both fell silent, just looking at each other. Toni wasn't sure if she had pushed it that little bit far. "I'm kidding, I..." She tried again but Shelby interrupted. 

  


"I wouldn't mind that." She glanced shyly at Toni, smiling before her eyes shifted away. They looked at each other for a long few moments, Toni chewing her bottom lip trying to prevent all the things she wanted to say and know and ask from spilling out. What did Shelby mean? She wanted to have sex with her again? Did she want to kiss Toni as much as she wanted to kiss her right now? How did Shelby feel about what happened? What had she been thinking about just now? What had she been thinking about since the night under the lychee tree? Was she falling as hard for Toni as she was for her? 

  


Toni's thoughts were interrupted when Shelby leant forward, hands latching onto the bottom of Toni's shirt, pulling her against herself and kissing her. Toni's thoughts melted away instantly as they always did in moments like this with Shelby. She kissed her back, wrapping her arms around the small of her back and pulling her impossibly closer. Shelby's hands slipped beneath Toni's shirt, resting on the bare skin of her waist and Toni tried very hard to stop thinking about where those hands had just been. 

  


She couldn't. 

  


Shelby was lighting a fire inside Toni with her lips and her tongue and her touch. And Toni was spilling over the edge. 

  


"That was fucking hot." She couldn't help but breath against Shelby's lips. Something shifted between them immediately and Shelby let out a small groan of approval at Toni's words. Shelby wanted Toni to feel that way. She wanted Toni to not be able to resist her, to stop waiting for her to always make the first move, to just grab her and kiss her and to do all the things she had moments ago been thinking of Toni doing to her. Shelby wanted Toni to spill over the edge and just give in to how she felt and do absolutely whatever she wanted to Shelby. 

  


Shelby squeezed Toni's waist and Toni was still thinking of where her hands had just been. "I was thinking of you." Shelby whispered, pulling one hand from Toni's waist and wrapping her fingers around the back of Toni's neck pulling her closer against her. She wanted to fuel that fire she knew was burning in Toni. 

  


Toni pulled away, tilting her head back and letting out a loud groan followed by a soft laugh. "Shelby." Was all she managed to say, shaking her head with a smile. 

  


"Stop holding back. Please stop holding back." Shelby's hand curled around from her neck to her cheek. "Please stop being so considerate of my feelings and just take these clothes off of me and fuck me." 

  


"Fuck." Toni breathed and took only a second before pulling Shelby back against her and kissing her deeply. This was a different kiss. This was different. Toni's hand curled into Shelby's hair, tugging ever so slightly. This was exactly what Shelby wanted, no holding back. 

  


"I was thinking about how much I loved the scratch of bark against my back when you had your fingers inside me, fucking me against that tree." Shelby pulled back from the kiss to whisper against Toni's lips. 

  


Shelby didn't ever give much thought to what she would like or wouldn't like when it came to sex. She didn't think much about sex at all, she tried hard not to. She only let herself during those few and far between moments when she gave in to her fantasies about girls. But it was only after the night under the lychee tree that Shelby had allowed herself to experience what really got her, what she really liked and honestly she hadn't been able to think about very much else since. What she found out about herself was that she had a dirty mouth and what she found out about Toni was that she loved it. Like really loved it. 

  


Toni's knees literally went weak at Shelby's words and there was no doubt in her mind that she'd have been on the floor had Shelby not had such a tight grip on her. 

  


"What else?" Toni moaned, tilting Shelby's jaw to the side with her hand to get better access to her neck. She scraped her teeth along her neck, flicking her tongue out to lick before sinking her teeth gently into her skin. Shelby was reeling, this is exactly how she wanted Toni. Shelby held Toni's mouth in place against her neck with a tight grip in her brown hair. "What else?" Toni repeated, biting a little harder. 

  


Shelby gasped, her eyes snapping shut, trying to find words. "I was playing with my nipples the way you did. Pulling on 'em and squeezing like you did with your mouth. With your tongue." Shelby teased herself with her own words, knowing that the words she spoke would soon be reality. She snaked her hand up inside Toni's shirt to her bra, where she ran her fingers gently over where Toni's nipples were. She could feel them hard through her bra. She used her thumb and index finger to roughly squeeze, eliciting a sharp gasp from Toni who bit into her neck even harder before soothing it with a wet kiss. 

  


"With your tongue." Shelby repeated, pushing Toni back from her, so she could see her face. Her hand ran up her neck, across her jaw, and she reached out her thumb to trace Toni's bottom lip. Toni immediately opened her mouth, her tongue edging out. Shelby slipped her thumb across the tip of her tongue poking between her lips, before gently pushing it into Toni's mouth. Shelby watched in awe as her thumb slipped between Toni's lips. "Your tongue." Shelby whispered, almost just to herself. Her mind was flashing back to where Toni's tongue had been and the things Toni's tongue had done to her when she felt her warm, wet tongue curling around and sucking on her thumb. 

  


Toni kept eye contact with Shelby whose eyes were half shut and whose mouth had fallen open. Toni loved that she was the only one who had ever seen Shelby this way. She loved that Shelby was discovering this side of herself with her. Her stomach fluttered thinking about that, and she let Shelby's tongue fall from her mouth, to pull her into another kiss. 

  


They only broke apart the kiss to remove each other's shirts and bras. They were soon pressed against each other, the warmth and softness of their bodies fitting perfectly together. 

  


"I like you like this." Toni breathed against Shelby's collarbone which she was pressing kisses across. 

  


"You only started liking me after you saw me naked." Shelby teased. 

  


"Shut up." Toni pouted. "I liked you after you went half-Britney." Shelby laughed as Toni lowered herself to the ground, pulling Shelby down on top of her. Shelby's thighs rested on either side of Toni's, and she found herself slowly grinding down against her while they kissed. Toni's hands raked down Shelby's bare back, encircling her waist, occasionally squeezing and occasionally gently scratching. 

  


Shelby pulled away from their kiss and clasped a hand around the back of Toni's neck. They stared at each other, foreheads pressed together. Shelby breathed deeply, darting her tongue over her lip as she slipped her own hand inside her shorts. 

  


"Fuck." Was all Toni could say as her eyes dropped down to Shelby's hand. She watched her hand move inside her underwear. Shelby's eyes were locked onto Toni's face, watching her.

  


"I'm real wet." Shelby whispered, once again trying to fuel that fire inside Toni. Toni groaned, licking her lips subconsciously. Her eyes flickered briefly back to Shelby's. "I want your fingers inside me again." Shelby continued, rocking against her own hand. 

  


Shelby then slipped her hand out of her underwear and raised her fingers to Toni's mouth. She was teasing them both at this point. She traced her fingers over Toni's bottom lip and Toni eagerly flickerd her tongue out to taste her. That was it for Toni. She twisted them, letting Shelby gently fall onto her back and latching her mouth immediately onto the blonde girls neck. 

  


Shelby shuffled her own shorts to her knees and then kicked them off when Toni re-positioned herself between her legs. She reached up and wrapped her hands around Toni's ponytail, removing the hair tie gently, allowing Toni's long brown hair to fall down around her face. She sighed happily at the sight and Toni smiled warmly down at her. "I like your hair down." Shelby smiled pulling Toni down to kiss her. Toni's stomach fluttered. 

  


Toni traced her fingers over Shelby's underwear, feeling how wet the girl was. She moaned at the feeling, loving that she was the one causing this reaction in Shelby. 

  


"Told you." Shelby's breath was ragged as Toni gently traced over her underwear. Her hips were rocking up to meet the movement of Toni's fingers. She couldn't get enough. Toni liked to look at her face and her eyes for her reactions to everything and Shelby loved it. Shelby loved looking into Toni's eyes when she touched her, when she tugged her underwear down to the middle of her thighs, when she slipped her fingers across her bare skin and when she slipped one and then two fingers inside her. 

  


Shelby gasped and raised her knee, allowing her underwear to slip down her lower leg and off her feet. Toni kissed her deeply, her tongue flickering inside her mouth, their kiss dirty and wet. Shelby's hand gripped Toni's forearm as her fingers were working inside her, her other hand wrapped up underneath Toni's hair, holding her close. After a few minutes, Shelby released her grip on Toni's forearm at Toni's request to "touch yourself, let me see", and she began rubbing tight circles over her clit, matching the pace of Toni's fingers pushing inside of her. 

  


Toni pulled back to look down between them, her eyes flickering between Shelby's and her fingers between her legs for a few moments. She couldn't get enough. She pulled back to watch before latching her mouth onto one of Shelby's nipples. Shelby moaned deeply and Toni made note that it was one of Shelby's favourite things. She continued to lick and suck and gently bite her nipples while her fingers continued to move inside of the blonde girl.

  


Toni could feel just how wet Shelby was. She could hear it. The forest was silent except for the sound of their ragged breathing and the sound of Toni's fingers pushing deep inside of Shelby. 

  


"God, listen." Toni couldn't help but moan, rocking her hips in time with her fingers inside Shelby. Shelby very much already was but knowing the sounds were getting to Toni in the same way they were burning in her caused her to snap. She gripped tightly onto Toni's back, holding the girl almost uncomfortably tight against her, pushing her face against Toni's hair as she let go of all the tension inside of her. 

  


Toni continued the movement of her hand, trying very hard to continue the same pressure and rhythm when Shelby crushed them together. Toni moaned hearing Shelby chant her name over and over as she came, feeling the flood of wetness between the girls legs and feeling the pressure of Shelby's nails dig into her skin. She wanted to look at her, she wanted to see her face but Shelby had a steel grip around her back as she continued to come. Finally, her body relaxed back to the floor, and she released her grip on Toni. 

  


"Fuck." Toni moaned finally seeing the girls face, her hair pasted across her face, sweat covering her forehead. "Fuck." She repeated, leaning down to kiss Shelby deeply, still very slowly moving her fingers inside her. They kissed slowly and Toni withdrew her fingers to a groan of disappointment from Shelby. Toni chuckled as she moved her fingers to rub against her clit and Shelby's sensitive body quickly automatically recoiled from the touch. They both laughed against each other's lips. 

  


Toni lay her head down against Shelby's chest, taking a moment to appreciate the girl. She could feel and hear her breathing slow, and she could feel the girls heartbeat against her cheek. Shelby held her gently, trailing her finger tips up and down Toni's bare back, every so often curling her fingers in her hair for a moment. They lay like that, not speaking for a few minutes. 

  


"You have a real dirty mouth, don't you?" Toni finally laughed, thinking back to moments before and all the dirty words Shelby had been whispering and moaning into her neck and her mouth. 

  


Shelby laughed softly. "Apparently so." She agreed smiling down at Toni who turned her face from her chest to look up at her. Toni then moved and positioned herself directly over Shelby on her elbows, gazing down at her. "You like it." Shelby added with a small smirk.

  


"Apparently so." Toni echoed after a moment and they shared a laugh. 

  


They lay together in comfortable silence for a few minutes. 

  


"So....am I actually invited to join your "prayers" next time? Or are you gonna keep sneaking off into the woods alone." Toni eventually broke the silence with a teasing laugh, pinching Shelby's outer thigh playfully as she asked. 

  


Shelby let out a loud laugh and her face flushed a little pink. She was silent for a moment, enjoying Toni brushing her fingers across her cheeks, still gazing down at her. "You absolutely are." She finally smiled. "But we're currently only half-way through this time." 

  


With that she wrapped her arms around Toni's back and rolled her onto the floor, quickly settling between her legs, adopting the same position Toni had been in only seconds before. 

  


"Oh?" Toni raised her eyebrows with a smirk. 

  


"Why don't I show you some more of my dirty mouth you like so much?" Shelby drawled and Toni's stomach flipped as she started kissing her way down to where Toni's shorts were still in place.

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just putting out into the world what I want back.
> 
> I’m desperate for more Shoni fic pls someone else write it because I can’t.  
> 

Toni watched through half lidded eyes as Shelby pressed wet kissed down the centre of her chest, across her stomach and then trailed a line of hot kisses above the waistband of her shorts. She reached down to tangle her hand in Shelby's still damp hair, breathing heavily, anticipating what was about to come.

Shelby glanced up to Toni as she continued her trail of kisses and Toni felt goosebumps rise over her stomach when their eyes locked. Shelby stopped kissing her and bit her bottom lip shyly, opening her mouth to speak.

"Everything okay?" Toni cupped Shelby's cheek with the hand that had just been tangled in her hair.

"I uh.." Shelby blushed. "I know I'm talking a real big game here cause I know you like it but...some direction would be appreciated cause I actually have no idea what I'm about to do." She admitted awkwardly and Toni's heart melted.

Shelby watched as her eyes glazed over with a softness she hadn't yet seen from the girl. She blushed again, leaning into the hand that cupped her cheek and pressing a chaste kiss against her palm.

"Come up here." Toni started, desperately not wanting to make Shelby feel in any way uncomfortable. "I want you to do whatever you want to do." She started to pull the blonde up towards her but Shelby stopped her.

"And I really, really....like really, want to taste what you taste like. I want to kiss you and taste you and..." Shelby trailed off, fantasizing about the things Toni had done to her with her mouth that first night. Shelby wanted to do the exact same, she ached to. But she didn't have a clue where to begin. She'd never had the nerve to look up any lesbian porn for fear of her father finding her search history somehow and she was incredibly distracted, certainly too distracted, to take any notes the night under the lychee tree.

"Then just kiss me." Toni's voice cracked, the tension building up inside her. "And I'll point you in the right direction." She smiled and Shelby settled.

She made quick work of Toni's shorts and surprisingly to Toni, her underwear came right off too. And Shelby didn't hesitate. She trusted that if she was going wrong Toni would help her out. She was also just really eager to finally, finally, experience the thing she had been fantasizing about for all of her teenage years.

Shelby pressed soft kisses on the inside of Toni's thigh, gripping the outside of her leg with one hand and using the other to softly push the inside of the other thigh so Toni's legs were spread wider for her. Toni revelled in the small touch.

She continued to place wet kissed on the inside of one thigh, before crossing to the other, trying desperately to not dive right in, wanting to savour every second of the experience and make it last. She could feel the heat from between Toni's legs against her cheek and see the wetness as her eyes opened momentarily between kisses. It filled her stomach with fire.

Toni was trying her hardest not to rock her hips up for Shelby's touch and Shelby noticed her failing and smiled proudly to herself. Toni's hand crawled down to grip the hand Shelby had on her outer thigh, she held it tightly and Shelby's heart jumped at the small gesture. She glanced up at Toni who's eyes were dark and desperate, staring down at her, watching every movement her lips made. Shelby liked her watching.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Shelby placed her first kiss between Toni's legs making the girl underneath her gasp. Toni was wet, really wet and after just the first kiss, she was already all over Shelby's lips. Her tongue darted immediately out to lick her lips and she responded to the taste by subconsciously pushing again on Toni's thigh, spreading her legs wider. Toni noted every single movement the girl made, ingraining it into her memory.

Shelby kissed her everywhere; opened mouth, hot, wet kisses. Her lips pushed against her softly and then with more pressure. She kissed and kissed and kissed and Toni thought she couldn't possibly stop herself from coming. Shelby's moans as she continued to kiss weren't helping that fight either. She gripped tighter onto the hand on her leg and started rocking her hips softly against Shelby's mouth.

“I love you grindin’ against me.” Shelby gasped, taking a breath. Toni had awoken something in Shelby she didn’t know was in her. Toni responded by not trying to control her moving hips quite so much. Shelby made her feel so free to just be whatever she was in any moment.

Shelby listened to every sound Toni made, every dirty word she whispered and every instruction she gave.

Shelby brought the hand from the inside of Toni's thigh to gently feel the wetness between her legs and Toni moaned lowly at the new sensation. She focused her tongue on Toni's clit, small flickers, testing. And she used her fingers to feel through the wetness she wasn't reaching with her tongue.

"Fingers inside." Toni choked out after a moment, her eyes barely still open watching Shelby. Shelby immediately slid a finger inside her which was met with Toni bucking her hips harshly upwards. Shelby wondered if she'd ever not be absolutely in awe of the feeling of this. Toni was so wet and warm and she could feel her clenching around her finger. The position made it difficult for Shelby to do much else other than just let Toni move her hips against her but neither of them seemed to mind.

"Fuck, you're so good." Toni said. And then she said it again quieter. The third time she said it, it was a gasp. Her voice was even huskier and lower than normal and Shelby's stomach fluttered. She loved Toni's voice, especially like this.

Shelby closed her mouth around Toni's clit and sucked softly. When she sucked, she flickered her tongue at the same time and Toni's response told her that was exactly right. After a few moments she stopped and went back to placing wet kisses over her clit which Toni seemed to enjoy even more.

"Another finger." Toni gasped.

"Fuck." Shelby found the curse word falling from her mouth. Shelby noticed her own hips rocking against nothing so she squeezed her thighs together trying to relieve some of the pressure that Toni's voice and Toni's hand gripping hers and Toni's taste and Toni's smell and Toni's everything, build up inside of her. How had she denied herself this absolute bliss for so long?

"Kisses again." Toni instructed, her voice as low as Shelby had ever heard it. "Those kisses on my clit again, fuck." Shelby's stomach fluttered again and she immediate followed Toni's guidance.

She began to get pins and needles in her arm so she quickly withdrew her fingers from Toni to reposition herself. Her shoulder was now pressed against Toni's thigh which she hoped wasn't too uncomfortable for the girl but she needed the support to relieve the pins and needles and to also fuck Toni how she knew the she needed to be.

She kissed her clit with quick wet kisses as Toni had requested and slid two fingers back inside her. From this angle she was able to curl her fingers inside which Toni had previously advised her was good. She moaned at the warmth and taste as she continued to kiss and then suddenly was very aware of the filthy sounds caused by what she was doing.

"Listen." She breathed against Toni, echoing her own words from earlier. This drew Toni's attentions to the sounds and that coupled with the curling of two of Shelby's fingers deep inside her and the wet kissed from her hot mouth, propelled her over the edge before she could process it.

"Fuck." She shouted out into the forest, followed by a chant of yes'. Toni's thighs closed around Shelby's head and she tried as hard as she could to not squeeze hard but she couldn't stop the reaction in her body. She had a white knuckle grip on Shelby's hand and the other hand was pulling the back of Shelby's neck as close to her as she could, her hips rocking against Shelby's mouth. Shelby kept doing everything she was doing much to Toni's delight, she let her ride her orgasm out and the grip she had of Shelby with her thighs finally released.

"Holy fuck." Toni whispered, her head titled back so that all she could see were upside down trees. Her body shook as Shelby stopped kissing over her clit but continued to move her fingers inside her. She groaned and settled her eyes on Shelby who had a very serious look on her face as she leaned down to kiss her.

"I want to keep going." Shelby whispered against her lips and Toni could taste herself. Her hips bucked into Shelby's hand. "Let me keep going." She pleaded.

Toni gasped, her legs falling further apart subconsciously. Shelby kept fucking her. She kept moving her fingers inside her and curling them just right. Shelby pulled her lips away from Toni's to kiss down her neck. Toni's hand held her head and the other clenched into the dirt, grasping for anything it could find.

She whispered dirty things into Toni’s neck and Toni clung onto every word. Shelby's name tumbled from her lips again and again when she came.  
She had to grasp the girls arm to stop her from fucking her again, she couldn't take it.  
"I can't, I can’t.” She groaned, far too sensitive to continue, tugging on her arm and then laughing at Shelby's pouted lip.

Toni pulled Shelby into her chest, one arm wrapped around her back and her free hand entwined with the hand that had just made her come twice.

"So I kinda get the whole muscle thing now." Shelby poked Toni's stomach.

Toni grinned.

They lay like that together silently until the cold settled in.

///

Later that night, Toni sat on a piece of driftwood by the fire with Martha tucked under her arm at her side. The other girls sat around them, sharing the heat of the fire. Shelby kept stealing glances at Toni who stole them back. Each time they caught each other looking, they offered a sweet smile. Shelby watched Toni with Martha, how soft and gentle she was, how good of a friend she was. She thought about how much Toni seemed to crave physical touch, at least from people she liked.

Toni was always brushing their arms together or holding her hand in private moments. She liked to lie tucked into Shelby's side when she could and she liked holding Shelby against her chest. Toni never had her hands off of her when they were alone. She was always brushing some hair from her face or picking a leaf from her shirt or giving her a playful poke or squeeze. Shelby loved it.

"If we have to be stuck here, I'm glad its with ya'll." Shelby announced after watching Toni and Martha chat quietly between themselves. Her eyes lingered on Toni's for a moment before she continued. "I mean, this is a shitty situation but I can only imagine the hell of a lot shitter it could have been if you guys weren't here."

"Second that." Fatin agreed. "Wouldn't want any other fat asses ruining the best clothes I own."

Toni's eyes remained on Shelby. She knew a part of her didn't want to leave the island, didn't want to go back to the life she had before. Toni understood but her heart ached for her. She must have been deep in thought and Toni wondered just how deep, just how torn she may be, just how tortured and unhappy.

They chatted around the fire until one by one, the girls headed off to sleep. Martha was last to leave, uncurling herself from Toni's side, wishing both girls goodnight. Toni and Shelby remained opposite each other with the fire between them for some minutes after everyone left. Toni played with the sand at her feet, digging her fingers into it and then smoothing it back out. Shelby watched her.

"I used to pray to God every single day to change me, you know." Shelby sighed across the fire. Toni's face softened and she motioned to the spot beside her for Shelby to join her. She wanted to hear Shelby’s thoughts. She wanted to unpack and dissect each word the girl said and find some way to comfort her, to help her.

"I prayed day and night for Him to guide me to what was right and take away my attraction to girls." Shelby continued with a sigh once she'd settled beside Toni.

Shelby stared off across the fire into the waves lapping softly at the sand just ahead of them as she spoke. Toni listened. She edged closer to Shelby on the driftwood so their legs were touching and without taking her eyes away from the water, Shelby placed a gentle hand on Toni's knee. Toni placed her hand on top, running her index finger softly over her knuckles. After a moment, Shelby spoke again.

"Tonight I prayed to thank Him for you."

Toni's heart faltered in her chest and then swelled at Shelby's whispered admission. She stared at the side of her face as Shelby spoke the words to the ocean. She didn't understand the whole God thing, but she knew what it meant to Shelby. She knew that it meant a whole lot for Shelby to pray about her. She knew that she must have kind of meant a whole lot too for that.

She squeezed Shelby's hand and she finally turned her eyes away from the water to meet Toni's.

"I know we're stranded on a deserted island." Shelby suddenly started, rushed. "I know there's an almighty high chance we might never leave this place. I know there's a chance that if we do, whatever this is might be over and we might never even see each other ever again...." She trailed off shaking her head at the thought.

Toni opened her mouth to protest. To say that there was no chance of that happening because she didn't think she could live never seeing her again. Shelby continued before she could.

"But I am falling so hard. And so fast for you, Toni." Their eyes met and Toni sunk her shoulder closer to Shelby so she could drop her forehead against the other girls. "On this fucking deserted island our damn plane crashed on. And I'm really kinda hoping you might be feeling the same way. At least a little."

"More than a little." Toni whispered, not leaving Shelby to wait for her response, still trailing her finger over Shelby's knuckles. Shelby’s words were exactly what she wanted and needed to hear. She needed to know Shelby felt the same, that she wanted her too, that this was real.

"Oh thank you, Lord ." Shelby breathed out in relief, laughing, pulling back a little before bumping her forehead back against Toni's. Toni saw the tension leave her. She wondered how Shelby could possible doubt she felt the same, Toni was sure it was written all over her face.

Toni laughed and wrapped her arm around Shelby's shoulder and hugged her close. Shelby's arm snaked around her waist and she tucked her head underneath Toni's chin.

A few comfortable moments passes as they looked across the fire.

"Can't wait 'til people find out and ask how we went from hating each other to this." Shelby laughed. "I'll tell ‘em it started with you sneaking around the woods watching me..." Shelby teased as she squeezed Toni's side causing her to bark a laugh and recoil from the tickle.

"Fuck off." Toni shook her head with a laugh before leaning down to press a gentle kiss the top of her head. “It actually started with me chasing you through the woods...which I don’t think sounds much better.”

A few more moments passed.

“That was totally your fault though.” Toni finally concluded with a shrug, giving Shelby’s waist a playful squeeze of her own.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no real story or plot or structure because I don’t know how to write...I’m just writing what I want to read myself and hope people also want to read that.

"Would you believe I've always wanted to do this?" Shelby grinned, unfastening the buttons of her shorts and kicking them down to her feet. 

  


"Skinny dipping? Our plane nose diving into the ocean has clearly been a blessing in disguise." Toni watched Shelby slip her pink hoodie over her head. She folded it neatly and placed it on top of her shorts. 

  


Shelby turned back to Toni, catching her slipping out of her bra, dropping it to her feet messily along with her shirt and bottoms. Her mouth went dry, her eyes fluttering as she made no attempt to hide the fact that she was checking the now almost fully naked girl out. Toni was confident and it struck something inside Shelby. It was so attractive, someone being that comfortable in their own skin. Her eyes scanned from her neck, across the ridges of her collarbone, to her chest, to her stomach; everywhere dotted with freckles and moles. Toni smirked at her, hooking her thumbs into her underwear and letting them fall to the floor. Shelby swallowed, letting her eyes drift down. 

  


Toni watched Shelby watch her. After a few seconds, Shelby cleared her throat and met Toni's amused eyes. She glanced around shyly before turning her body ever so slightly away from Toni and peeling her bra off. A moment later she met Toni's eyes again as she slipped her underwear down her thighs. Toni maintained eye contact with her and Shelby shot her a smirk, a challenging. Toni tried to hide her smile, she wasn't going to look down like Shelby wanted her to. Shelby brought one hand to slowly skim over her lower stomach, trying to draw Toni's attention and make her break eye contact. She almost did. 

  


She suddenly stepped closer to Toni whose focus broke and her eyes quickly dropped down. She tried to recover but it was obvious. Shelby smirked triumphantly and Toni rolled her eyes, letting herself take in Shelby's body as she walked the short distance towards her. 

  


"Poppin' all of your cherries, huh?" Toni wiggled her eyebrows giving Shelby's ass a light, playful smack when she reached her. Shelby yelped in surprise, giggling and letting herself fall into Toni. 

  


"On three." Toni grabbed her hand, guiding her closer to the edge of the water Fatin had found weeks ago. 

  


"Three!" Shelby immediately shouted leaping into the water dragging an unprepared Toni in behind her. 

  


They were both submerged, still holding hands initially, letting go soon after to break back through the surface. Toni came up after Shelby whose head was flung back in delight, laughing at the sky. Toni's heart and stomach tugged and she was filled with as much happiness as she could remember being. She wiped some water from her face and pushed the hair back from her eyes. She didn't know if she'd ever felt more content than in this moment with Shelby. 

  


They splashed around, dunking each other, jumping on each other and laughing together. It felt so natural to be like this with each other; to have fun and flirt and play. 

  


After a while Shelby found herself pressed up against the bank, one hand holding a root in the rocky wall behind her head to help stay afloat. Toni was bobbing in the water in front of her, both of Shelby's legs wrapped around her, holding her close. One of Toni's hands was gripping onto another root poking from between the rocks. They didn't kiss, they didn't speak, they just floated, looking at each other. It was intense and intimate and Toni felt it right in the pit of her stomach.

  


"You're real pretty." Shelby spoke softly, her eyes scanning Toni's face. It was the first time she'd complimented a girl out loud in the way she meant it with Toni. She reached her free hand up out of the water and stroked the mole just to the side of Toni's mouth. Toni flushed. 

  


"You're beautiful." Toni shot back immediately, just as softly. And they kept staring at each other. 

  


A sudden hollering from the trees startled them both. They quickly pulled apart, pushing themselves away from the bank to see into the trees. The rest of the group were talking and shouting and laughing as they approached the water. Toni shot a quick glance at Shelby whose face was twisted into an uncomfortable grimace. Toni was annoyed at being interrupted already but even more so to see the peaceful, content look Shelby had on her face moments ago now spoiled with worry. 

  


"What kinda lesbian shit is this?" Rachel teased eyeing Shelby's neatly piled clothes and then Toni's scattered items. She peeled herself out of her own quickly. The others laughed. 

  


"Fuck off." Toni spat immediately without looking at Shelby. Rachel laughed not sensing the seriousness in Toni's voice. 

  


"How do you two go from wanting to kill each other to sneaking off to wash each others hair?" Rachel smirked at Toni, diving into the water before she could reply. Fury flashed in her stomach at Rachel's words. Toni briefly scanned the other girls, waiting the few seconds before Rachel resurfaced. None of them seemed to be paying much attention, undressing as they joked amongst themselves. 

  


"Shut the fuck up." Toni bit at Rachel the moment she resurfaced, slapping the water. Rachel shot her a furrowed brow, shrugging. Toni swam closer to her; Rachel remained where she was.

  


"Do you have to fucking make everything that bit worse? Do you always have to be the fucking one to bring the rest of us down into your shit?" Toni was boiling over. Moments ago she was having the time of her life with Shelby and of course someone had to come along and fuck it up. She still hadn't looked at Shelby, afraid that any look of unhappiness on the girls face would push her over the edge. 

  


"Hey, chill girl." Fatin called, trying to break the tension. She understood Toni's anger and exactly what it was about but all Toni was doing was bringing more attention to it. The rest of the girls were now looking on. 

  


Toni was shaking her head, seething. She knew that she was making it worse. She knew if she'd ignored the comment nothing more would have been said. She knew if she hadn't reacted, no one would be looking at her now wondering what the hell was going on. She knew all of that but still, she just couldn't help the fury that flared in her stomach and bubbled up into her mouth making her spit her harsh words out. 

  


She was afraid anyone knowing what was going on between her and Shelby would ruin it, that it would make Shelby uncomfortable and retreat back and what they had would be over. She didn't want it to be over. She didn't want Shelby to be afraid or feel judged. 

  


"I don't suppose any of ya'll are about to make my day and tell me some shampoo has actually washed up on the beach?" Shelby suddenly called brightly. It caught Toni off guard and she turned to meet Shelby's eyes briefly. "That'd be real nice. I'm about ready to cut the rest of this damn hair off." 

  


The tension was broken and everyone's attention was now on Shelby as they shared a laugh. 

  


"You'd totally rock that look, Shelby." Martha smiled sweetly swimming over to Shelby. Martha pulled Shelby's hair over her shoulder, twisting it between her fingers, admiring it. Shelby returned Martha's sweet smile but Toni could see something else in her eyes. A hurt she had been part of causing. She breathed some of the tension out of her body at that realisation. She scolded herself mentally. She should have just left it, that look wouldn't be in Shelby's eyes if she'd have just left it. 

  


The other girls washed, chatting and signing and Toni slipped off quietly when she was sure the other girls were too distracted to notice. She grabbed her clothes and her bag and moved into the treeline before drying herself off quickly. She slipped her clothes back on and then left the bag and towel beside Shelby's clothes, stalking off back to the beach.

  


///

  


"Are you seriously cutting off each individual leg hair with nail scissors?" Dot eyed Fatin. 

  


"Absolutely." Fatin retorted, snipping away at the barely there hair on her legs due to this being a pastime she partook in at least 3 times a week. 

  


"Usually I'd do it in private. I don't want to give you bitches something else to steal from me...or break!" Fatin shot Dot an accusatory look, reminding her of the toothbrush that Fatin was convinced she had most certainly broken. 

  


"Your toothbrush ran out of battery, get over it." Dot rolled her eyes, poking more firewood into the fire. 

  


"Toni could use those scissors for that pit hair." Shelby teased following behind Dot with firewood. She smiled playfully at Toni who tried to remember that they weren't meant to flirt with each other in front of the others. She held her tongue on many inappropriate thoughts that she could have voice. 

  


"Why don't you trim 'em for me Pageant Queen?" Toni finally decided on her reply. "Make me as prim and proper as you." She lifted an arm up to inspect her armpit hair, offering a look to the other girls with a proud smile on her face as she stroked at the hair. 

  


Shelby pretended to cringe but couldn't hide her smile. 

  


Their playful interaction settled Toni. It was the first they had spoken since what happened earlier with Rachel. Shelby and the other girls had returned and it was as if nothing had happened to anyone else but it was still playing on Toni's mind. She didn't know how to approach it. So for the last few hours they had just gone about their business as normal. Toni didn't want to create a spectacle and pull Shelby off somewhere to apologise to her so she just let it play out naturally. She knew that they would get a chance to speak later and she wanted to make sure Shelby was okay. 

  


In the meantime, she let Shelby have her space. People usually got angry at Toni when she exhibited her own anger, even if it was in that person's defence. So she certainly didn't expect the playful teasing from Shelby. Shelby didn't seem angry at her at all. 

  


///

  


"That hit the spot." Dot smacked her lips, finishing the last bite of her food. She turned her head dramatically to the sky, clasping her hands in prayer. "Thank you Lord for blessing us with Nora who on this day created a fishing trap that actually traps fish."

  


Nora blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Thanks to the chicken wire washing up..."

  


"Amen." Shelby beamed, smacking her knees. 

  


"You didn't even get to have any." Leah noted. No one was able to determine the type of fish they'd caught and Shelby most definitely wasn't willing to risk a possible anaphylactic reaction. She wasn't entirely sure what exactly she was allergic to so decided not to risk it. 

  


"Doesn't mean I can't be happy for God blessing my friends." Shelby shrugged sweetly. 

  


The mood was high. For the first time in almost two weeks, since Martha had killed the goat, they were eating something other than lychee berries. 

  


After dinner, Dot, Leah, Fatin and Nora were playing some intricate, complex game Dot had created in the sand. Dot had made up some weird rules and Fatin was convinced they were working only in Dot's favour. 

  


Toni glanced back at their shouts over her shoulder when Fatin accused Dot of cheating. She laughed to herself and turned back to look down at her feet being lapped at by the warm ocean water. She curled her toes tightly in the sand and then released, liking the feeling under her skin. She looked far out to where the ocean and sky met in blackness and then up at the hundreds of stars in the sky. This is somewhere she'd love to be under normal circumstances. 

  


"When do you want this beauty treatment then?" Toni turned to Shelby's soft voice behind her. The blonde girl walked into the water beside her as they shared a warm smile. 

  


"When can you fit me in?" 

  


"I am in high demand...But I'm sure I could shuffle a few things around, make an exception for you."

  


"You better be careful with that." Toni laughed heartily. "You'll have me thinking I'm special."

  


"I hope so." Shelby bumped her shoulder against Toni's and Toni turned her head to look at her. She swallowed the little lump the words had gathered in her throat. Shelby fixed her eyes on the ocean, far too aware of how deep the words she had just said actually ran. 

  


They didn't speak for a few long moments. They looked out into the water, standing silently beside each other. 

  


Shelby bumped her shoulder softly into Toni's again. "You doin' alright?"

  


Toni immediately turned, feeling everything spill up from her heart into her mouth. "I'm sorry Shelby." She started. "I know I made it worse earlier. I know I should have just kept my fucking mouth shut."

  


"Toni."

  


"I was trying to...God, I was trying to..." 

  


"Toni, I know." Shelby soothed her with her calm voice and warm eyes. Shelby bumped her shoulder against Toni's for a third time, staying connected for a moment longer this time. It was just what Toni needed. "I know you were trying to protect me. I know you didn't want me panicking about what someone might think."

  


"I know I made it worse." Toni sighed disappointed in herself. She was frustrated. Because she knew, she fucking knew but she still could never help herself. She was surprised she'd stepped back earlier. She knows she has Shelby to thank for easing her enough to be able to. 

  


"I don't think you give yourself enough credit." Shelby shook her head, kicking softly at the water making it swish around their feet. "It could have been an awful lot worse. You could have you know...drowned her."

  


Toni laughed. 

  


"I'm serious, Toni." Shelby's smile died down to a soft expression. "Your heart is in the right place. And you backed down an awful lot faster than I expected you to. I underestimate you."

  


This time Toni bumped her shoulder against Shelby's. Shelby wasn't angry at her, she was proud of her for how she'd controlled herself because Shelby knew she had. Toni didn't quite know what to do with the feeling this knowledge made her feel, she hadn't felt anything like it before. 

  


"I guess you make me feel calmer or something." Toni admitted as best she could. There was an awful lot more she wanted to say but she didn't want to spill her heart out on the beach. Although she was sure Shelby would break down the few barriers she had left with her in no time if things kept going how they were going. That didn't terrify her as much as she expected. 

  


"And I guess you make me less afraid of being who I really am." Shelby breathed, the words being said out loud relieving tension in her chest. "We're kinda not the worst for each other after all, it turns out huh?”

  


"Okay we need to join that dumb game right now before I kiss you." Toni groaned, her heart melting at Shelby's voice and Shelby's words. 

  


Shelby laughed, bumping her shoulder into Toni's a final time. 

  


"The only reason I'd mind that is I kinda like sneakin' around with you." Shelby smiled shyly. Toni knew exactly what she meant. "Kinda feels like we're the only ones on this whole damn island when we're together." 

  


Toni could have burst. "Okay, yeah, we need to go." She groaned with a pout and Shelby threw her head back to laugh knowing the effect her words would have on Toni. She knew she'd crawled and settled right into Toni's heart the same way she had into hers. She loved how hard it was in that moment for Toni not to kiss her. 

  


Toni kicked at the water, splashing it at Shelby's shins, turning as she yelped, walking back up the beach. Shelby followed close behind, unable to hide her smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of really enjoyed writing this chapter? Thank you for reading! Your comments means so much to me, I appreciate everyone’s time making them.

  


Dot, Fatin and Leah spotted the two girls in the distance as they emerged from the trees back onto the beach, bags filled with bottles now replenished with water and arms full of firewood.

  


“Is she attacking her?” Dot squinted across the beach, maybe only a quarter serious. She wouldn’t put it passed Toni. 

  


Shelby was sat with her legs out-stretched in front of her, leaning back with both her hands flat on the ground behind her for support. Toni was above her, kneeling over her lap, her knees on either side of Shelby’s thighs. She had one hand on her forehead and the other lower down in front of Shelby's face. They couldn’t quite make out what was going on from here.

  


After a moment, the pair erupted into laughter at some presumed joke, unheard by the three girls approaching them.

  


“Guess not?” Leah shrugged and Fatin smirked. In the past two days alone, she'd seen them in at least half a dozen situations she knew they'd have a hard time talking themselves out of. She looked forward to what they'd come up with this time. 

  


Toni shuffled to re-positioned herself and in doing so turned her head, spotting the girls approaching along the sand. She scrambled quickly off of Shelby, startling her. Shelby followed Toni’s gaze and followed suit, sitting up, wiping the sand from her hands and awkwardly crossing her legs. She toyed with the straps of her sandals, squinting in the sun. 

  


She glanced up at Toni who gathered herself quickly, moving to stand over Shelby. As the three girls approached, Toni placed a hand on Shelby’s forehead, not quite as gently as when they were alone, for show as part of the lie she was about to tell them. 

  


“We couldn’t tell if she was trying to murder you.” Dot shrugged, dropping the firewood at her feet. “We figured not.”

  


Shelby let out a small forced laugh, unsure of what they had seen and of what they were now thinking. She scratched at the back of her neck awkwardly. Toni stuffed the eyebrow tweezers she'd stolen from Fatin's suitcase and had been using on Shelby moments before into her pocket before anyone noticed. 

  


Shelby opened her mouth to speak, although she was unsure what she would say but Toni jumped in. “She had something in her eye.” She explained, placing her hands on her hips and then turning on her heels and stalking off down the beach when no one replied. She stole a quick glance back at Shelby who offered her a sweet, grateful smile.

  


Shelby watched Toni disappear behind the rocks and then stood to help the other girls with the firewood. Shelby missed her the second she was out of sight. She laughed to herself when she realised she actually started missing her the second she turned around and started walking away. How was this girl making her glad she’d been in a plane crash that left her stranded, starving on a deserted island? Shelby turned her head, hearing someone dramatically clear their throat and met eyes with Fatin who was smirking at her. She felt her face flush, quickly getting to her feet to busy herself helping stack the fire. 

  


///

  


"What do you say you and I do a little explorin' today?" Shelby asked coyly laying her hand briefly on Toni's shoulder before placing her hands on her hips. Toni turned to looked up at her. 

  


"Cool." Despite trying, Toni couldn't hide her happiness even just in one word. Shelby grinned, walking away without saying anything else. 

  


Toni told Martha. She said that they were going to check out the island, try to a different source of food. She said they probably wouldn't be back tonight. She didn't want a search party to be sent out but she also wanted to make sure someone at least generally knew where they were headed. 

  


They stuck to the beach, opting to walk to the opposite end of the island. When they were sure they were far enough out of sight, Shelby had taken Toni's hand in her own and hadn't let go. They walked in comfortable silence with their feet in the warm water, enjoying each other's company. They spoke as they headed out of the water, black and golden sand stuck to their wet feet. Shelby told Toni about pageants and siblings and Toni told Shelby about school and basketball. Shelby wanted to know everything and Toni was happy to tell her. Toni asked just as many questions. 

  


A few hours later, they found a nice spot in front of a ridge that gave them shade and access to the beach and ocean. They sat in the sand, hands still clasped together for a while before deciding to swim. They sat where the waves met the sand, letting the water lap at their bodies as they continue speaking about more things than Toni knew people could speak about. She felt like they'd only left the other girls an hour ago but half the day must have passed. 

  


After another little while, they stripped off to their underwear and swam in the shallow water, enjoying the coolness of it in comparison to the hot sun. 

  


They left the water just as the sun started to drop in the sky, changing into dry underwear and putting their clothes back on. They ate the lychee berries they brought with them and found new things to still talk about. 

  


Shelby showed Toni the green flash of the sun dropping out of the sky. The flash lasted a second and Shelby immediately turned to Toni, looking for her reaction. Toni looked at Shelby's face and suddenly felt like she might cry, an overwhelming feeling of, she doesn't quite know what, welling up in her chest. She just nods and Shelby kisses her, seeing in her eyes the same feelings tugging inside of herself. Feelings she knows neither of them have the words for yet. 

  


They settle back against the smooth hill of grass below the ridge, wrapping the blanket Toni had brought around themselves. They watch the sky darken, the waves somehow getting louder without the light of the sun. They talk and laugh and joke and tease each other, shifting positions several times before Toni settles back against the hill and draws Shelby between her legs, resting back against her chest.  
"Not the worst date I've ever been on." Toni teases.

  


"Date?" Shelby faux scoffs, bumping her elbow back into Toni's stomach. 

  


"Totally a date." 

  


Shelby's smile reflected everything she was feeling. 

  


They sit in silence, Toni peppering kisses through Shelby's hair every so often. Shelby entwines their hands together, settling back further into Toni. 

  


Shelby edges their locked hands from where they rested on her stomach a few inches higher. Toni feels the shift in mood at the small gesture. She licks her lips but doesn't say anything, doesn't move. It takes another minute before Shelby pulls their hands higher, settling her hand on top of Toni's covering her chest. 

  


When Shelby still doesn't say anything, Toni laughs. 

  


"Oh, now I get why you wanted me to sneak off with you." Toni teased, nuzzling her face deeper into Shelby's hair with a laugh. 

  


"Shut up." Shelby held back a smile, pretending to roll her eyes. She couldn't argue, Toni was right; this is most definitely how she envisioned the day coming to an end. She closed her hand over Toni's again causing another squeeze over her boob. 

  


"So you don't want me to fuck you then?" Toni dragged her hand slowly down Shelby's chest, making sure to pass her nipple agonisingly slow. Shelby's stomach fluttered, her head dropping impossibly further back onto Toni chest.

  


"It's real annoying how your arrogance is such a turn on." Shelby's voice was low. 

  


"It's not arrogance." Toni breathed against the side of her neck with a smirk. She lay a single, long, open mouthed kiss just behind her ear. "I just know exactly what I'm doing." 

  


"Yes, you do." Shelby whispered her agreement, her whole body on fire, voice cracking. She pushed herself back into Toni, reaching once again for Toni's hand which now lay across her stomach. Toni let her drag it back up to her chest. 

  


Shelby titled her head to the side to meet Toni's mouth in a slow, deep kiss. They kept kissing, Toni continuing to tease her fingers over Shelby's nipple through her shirt. Soon the fire in the blonde's stomach was too much and she needed more. She made to sit up, intending to turn and face Toni but Toni tightened her grip around her, keeping her in place. 

  


"Stay like this." She traced her fingers along Shelby's jaw, turning her back into another kiss. Shelby throbbed. 

  


Shelby knew exactly what she meant, she knew exactly what was about to happen and she felt like she could burst with anticipation. She quickly unbuttoned her shorts, shuffling them down her thighs, her mouth never leaving Toni's. Toni's eyes were closed but she could feel what Shelby was doing and she smirked into the kiss. 

  


After a moment, Toni settled back against the hill, shuffling her body slightly to the side so that Shelby was now only half against her but still completely supported. Shelby looked at her, bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes dark. Toni stared at her lips and then looked back to her eyes, seeing every emotion passing through Shelby in them. 

  


"You might need to talk me through this." Shelby's voice was so quiet and low, Toni barely heard her. She could hear the nervousness underneath the desire and her stomach fluttered at the gorgeous girl in her arms, so open and wanting and trusting. 

  


"Just lean back against me." Toni instructed softly, her voice matching the lowness of Shelby's. "And let me make you come." A moan slipped from Shelby's throat at Toni's words and tone. This girl really had lit a fire inside her that Shelby was sure would never be put out. 

  


Shelby reached her hand up to cup Toni's face, pulling their mouths together. Each kiss more intense than the last. Her other hand was gripping the inside of her own thigh. After a moment she tugged her underwear down. 

  


Toni tugged upward at the bottom of Shelby's shirt with one hand and the blonde helped her pull it up, revealing her bare stomach. Shelby pulled her bra up with some awkwardness, letting her boobs free, the bra helping to prevent her shirt from falling back down. Toni stared down, her tongue flickering out to wet her lips. Shelby reached up, Toni's tongue catching her attention and traced two fingers across Toni's lips. Toni opened her mouth, letting Shelby's fingers brush against her tongue inside, wetting her fingers. Shelby moaned at the sight, rubbing her fingers against the warmth and wetness. Toni's lips closed around her fingers. After a moment, she pulled them out of her mouth, immediately dropping her hand to rub the wetness over her nipples. 

  


"Fuck." Toni watched her, reaching with her own hand to pinch the nipple Shelby currently wasn't twisting between her own fingers. She placed soft kisses on the side of Shelby's face, in her hair and on the shell of her ear while they played with her nipples. Toni stared down at Shelby's fingers twisting and pulling and Shelby stared at Toni's, rolling her nipple between her thumb and index finger. 

  


Shelby's hips were rocking slightly, Toni noticed, her hand trailing down her stomach, between her legs. She didn't tease her or make her wait, her fingers slipped immediately between her legs, feeling the wetness there. She groaned at the feeling, rocking her own hips against Shelby's body. 

  


The angle was only just do-able, Toni's arm just long enough to comfortably reach where she needed to but she had to slide slightly more to the side to make it work. Toni looked down over Shelby's shoulder, watching her own hand work between her legs. She traced her fingers through the wetness, stroking over her clit with barely there touches. Shelby was already gasping at every single movement, wetter than Toni had seen her before. 

  


Toni kept pressing kisses to Shelby's cheek and neck but couldn't stop watching herself touch the girl propped against her. She watched her own hand, stealing glances back at Shelby's, still twisting and pulling on her nipples. Toni couldn't get enough of watching her. 

  


"Let me watch you." She begged, her lips against Shelby's ear. She cupped her free hand over the hand Shelby didn't have on her nipples. She tugged it up to her own mouth, Shelby shifting to watch. She opened her lips, laying her tongue flat and pulled one of Shelby's fingers into her wet mouth. Shelby's hips bucked against Toni's hand between her legs that had stopped moving, distracted. She briefly stroked over her clit a few times before becoming distracted again, sucking Shelby's finger between her lips. 

  


"That dirty mouth." Shelby breathed, mesmerised. Shelby dropped her fingers from between Toni's lips, wanting to give the girl exactly what she wanted. She wanted to do whatever Toni wanted. Toni being turned on turned her on more than anything else. If Toni wanted a little show, she'd give her one. 

  


Toni's lips brushed against Shelby's neck, her eyes following the path Shelby's hand took down her body, settling between her legs. Toni's hand resumed the slow strokes over her clit while the other brushed up Shelby's chest to rest flat just at the base of her neck. Every touch felt like scorches on her skin. Shelby hadn't stopped gasping at every little movement. 

  


Shelby strokes her fingers beside Toni's, deliberately brushing their fingers together through the wetness between her legs. The feeling of their fingers slipping against each other against her clit could have alone sent her over the edge. There was something so dirty about it. Toni moans into her ear and she thinks it just might. 

  


Shelby dips her fingers lower to a tortured and strained "yes" from Toni, against her ear. Shelby has never felt more wanted. Toni's blatant desire for every little move she makes makes her feel more at ease than she ever thought possible, gives her the confidence to own her own pleasure. 

  


Toni shifts slightly for a better view over her shoulder as Shelby dips a finger inside herself. Her body shudders and Toni presses the hand at the base of Shelby's neck down, holding the girl against her. And she watches, once again too distracted at first to continue moving her own fingers. She watches as Shelby slides a finger inside herself, slowly pulling it out and just as slowly pressing it back into the wetness. Shelby shifts her hips, spreading her legs wider, her finger quickening. Toni's throat is so dry, the words she wants to say don't make it to her mouth.

  


"You just gonna stare or you gonna help a girl out?" Shelby breathes in a teasing tone, desperately wanting to feel Toni's fingers pressing against her clit again. Toni blinks, coming out of her daze. Then she grins. 

  


"Sorry." She kisses against Shelby's cheek, blushing. "You're so fucking hot." 

  


Shelby feels it. She feels dirty and sexy lying back against Toni's chest, legs spread, both their hands between her legs and her bra pulled up over her chest, out in the open in front of the ocean. 

  


Toni keeps rubbing tight circles over Shelby's clit, noting the girls hips bucking when her fingers press just to the right so she focuses exactly there. Shelby's fingers continue to work in and out of herself at varying paces; slowing when Toni kisses her and resuming at a quicker pace when she isn't as distracted. Toni changes the pressure of her movements and Shelby's hips start rocking hard into their hands. 30 seconds later, she's coming, slipping down Toni's body out of reach of her fingers, her free hand reaching back behind her, touching any part of Toni that she can. 

  


Toni laughs as Shelby lies sprawled in front of her panting and giggling, reaching down to cup her face. 

  


"You're seriously fucking hot." Toni almost whines, shifting to lie beside Shelby and kissing her neck. She can't get enough of Shelby, she can't stop thinking about her, she's just had her and already wants her again. She doesn't know what to do with all the want rippling through her. 

  


"Why does it sound like that's not a good thing to you?" Shelby laughs, still high and breathing heavily from her orgasm. 

  


"It's the worst." Toni pouts, kissing the corner of Shelby's mouth, pulling their bodies together so Shelby is little spoon. She helps tugged her shirt back into place. 

  


After a few moments of silence, Shelby's breathing returns to normal. They lie with each other, Shelby enjoying the warmth of Toni's body and the sound of her soft breathing. She fully intended to return the favour but a few minutes pass and Toni starts snoring softly beside her. Shelby feels that overwhelming feeling she isn't quite sure what to call bubble up in her again and she feels tears brim in her eyes. 

  


She isn't sad. She’s the farthest thing from sad she thinks she's ever been. She ends up laughing softly at herself and the silliness of her tears and the emotions she doesn't understand. Her chest rising with her laughter disturbs Toni's snoring. She nuzzles against Shelby and before long, she's snoring softly again. Shelby strokes the soft skin of her arm. She turns to face Toni whose features she can only just make out in the moonlight. She laughs softly to herself again. 

  


Before she drifts off to sleep, she doesn't forget to sends her silent prayers to God. 

  


//

  


When Toni and Shelby returned early the next morning, the group were scattered around, busying themselves. Toni thought no one seemed to have noticed they'd even been gone. Or at least no one mentioned it. 

  


Everyone gathered together in the same general area in the afternoon. Nora had broken the top off of one of the coke cans that had a hole in it to create a make shift bucket for building sandcastles. Her and Martha had spent the last hour building a little city of coke can sandcastles which Rachel kept pretending she was falling into. 

  


Leah sat on the sand, propping her elbow on the driftwood Fatin was perched on. Toni sat with her back against it beside them, curling her fingers into the sand. 

  


Dot and Shelby were doing inventory. 

  


"I seriously need to be fucked." Fatin declared. "I could eat this shitty fruit and drink this shitty water and live on this shitty island forever if I could just have an orgasm again."

  


"Shit, I'd give anything for some decent food." Dot sighed. "That is definitely my first priority."

  


"A bath would be mine. Give me some shampoo, some soap, some deodorant." Rachel said longingly, propping herself on her elbows facing into the rest of the group. 

  


"Clearly none of you have ever had good sex!" Fatin rolled her eyes. Toni and Shelby glanced over at each other at the exact same moment as soon as the words were spoken. Their secret laughs mingled in with the rest of the groups. 

  


"Which of us would you fuck first?" Dot asked Fatin with a smirk. "Like; we're never getting rescued, we're all willing, who's coming out on top?"

  


Fatin barked a laugh, looking around the group. "God, the sad thing is, I think I actually could get that desperate."

  


"Hey!" Leah frowned, swatting at her leg. Fatin laughed. 

  


"Honestly." She began after a moment of looking around. "If I actually want an orgasm, it's gotta be my girl, Toni."

  


Toni's head fell back with a triumphant laugh before she stuck her hand up to high-five Fatin. "You know it." She smirked. 

  


Toni looked to Shelby who had playfully narrowed her eyes at her reaction to Fatin's response. Toni shot her a wink. 

  


"What about you Leah?" Dot turned her attention to the girl next to Fatin. 

  


"Toni." She immediately shrugged. "Fatin makes a valid argument."

  


Once again Toni threw her head back in a triumphant laugh, clapping her hands together. 

  


"Does no one want to fuck me?!” Dot threw her hands up. "Don't I get any points for giving off gay vibes with my cargo shorts?"

  


"I'd pick you, Dot." Nora smoothed over one of her sandcastles nonchalantly. Dot made a heart shape with her hands, blowing Nora a kiss. 

  


"Rachel?" Dot moved on. "Two for Toni, one for me, you making it even?"

  


"I'm going with Fatin." Rachel decided. "Just to see how it would go down."

  


"Martha, girl." Dot rubbed her hands together. "Who you losing it to?"

  


Martha blushed. "I don't think I have the same needs as you guys." She blushed again and then glanced to Shelby with a sweet laugh. "But, I guess for ice breaker sake, I'd choose Shelby. Then we'd be in it together at least."

  


"Now ain't that a compliment." Shelby smiled back sweetly at her, reaching her hand across the sand between them. 

  


Toni frowned at Martha and then looked to Shelby who was grinning from ear to ear at her. Toni rolled her eyes, trying to hide her own smile. The initial pang of jealously fading. She nervously anticipated Shelby's answer. 

  


"Toni, I know you're picking me with these shorts." Dot flapped her cargo short pockets open and shut, biting her lip, modelling them for Toni. 

  


"Sorry to break it to you, but none of you meet the mark." Toni shrugged smugly, with a casual roll of her shoulders. 

  


Shelby scoffed audibly. "God, could your head get any bigger?" She asked trying to disguise her teasing as annoyance to the other girls. 

  


Toni grinned at her, shrugging again. "No room for mine to get bigger when yours is on this island." She shot back trying to do the same as Shelby. 

  


"Oh please!" Fatin rolled her eyes, not amused. 

  


"Will God forgive a hypothetical?" Dot addressed Shelby, knowing Toni wouldn't give in. "Who would you pick?"

  


All eyes were on Shelby whose mouth was set in a confident line, edging up at the corners. 

  


"Toni." She answered simply and immediately with a smirk and raised eyebrow. 

  


Toni choked on nothing drawing everyone's attention to her. 

  


"What?" Shelby gave her best innocent smile but Toni could see the teasing behind it in her eyes, meant just for her. "Fatin made a valid argument right?" She echoed Leah's words from earlier then turned from the group, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she went, leaving them all to stare in disbelief at each other at the honesty and abruptness no one had expected. 

  


Fatin nudged Toni with her foot, smirking but Toni didn't turn to acknowledge her, still staring after Shelby minutes later, her mouth still hanging open in disbelief.

  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading. 
> 
> I think this may be the penultimate chapter of this!
> 
> Hope you enjoy, it's a little longer.

Toni closed her eyes, humming in approval as Martha combed her fingers delicately through her hair. Her head rested comfortably in her friends lap, enjoying the warmth of Martha's legs under her head. This morning was particularly cold, the wind bringing with it a brittle chill. 

  


Toni watched across the sand as Shelby and Rachel finished their designated job; 'washing' the groups clothes in the ocean. They made their way up the beach to hang them to dry on the piece of designated laundry driftwood. The wind had unfortunately only picked up after they had begun. Rachel had of course insisted on finishing. Toni watched as they placed rocks on top of the clothing to make sure it didn't blow down the beach with the wind, smiling to herself at how careful Shelby considered her rock placement. 

  


After their final trip into the choppy water, the girls dried off and shuffled back into the bottoms they had taken off to prevent getting wet. Shelby's top half was covered only in the thin material of the crop top she'd worn when they had first kissed. The corner of Toni's lips tugged up at the memory. 

  


Shelby and Rachel quickly made their way towards where everyone else gathered around the fire. Fatin and Leah were asleep, curled close together by Fatin's now empty suitcase. Nora was lying just beside them, curled up into a ball, snoring softly. 

  


Rachel dropped to her knees in front of the fire, holding her icy hands over the flames, trying to get some heat back into them. 

  


"It is mighty cold today." Shelby shivered, shuffling next to her. 

  


"Of course it has to be on the day we're on laundry." Rachel grumbled moodily. 

  


"If the wind doesn't let up, we'll camp out in the trees until it dies down." Dot suggested, twisting some firewood in her hands, a watchful eye on the fire. 

  


"Sounds like a plan." Shelby crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her arms for the little heat the action provided. 

  


Toni didn't like the feeling that ached in her heart and stomach seeing Shelby cold and uncomfortable. Without another thought she sat up abruptly from Martha's lap, tugging at the sleeves of her blue sweater. She pulled it over her head and threw it the short distance to where Shelby sat. It landed with a soft thump in front of her. 

  


Dot and Rachel exchanged a glance but said nothing. 

  


"Oh no, Toni, I couldn't." Shelby immediately offered an appreciative smile with a shake of her head. Her cheeks flushed. 

  


Toni already had her head back on Martha's lap. 

  


"It's cool." Toni tried to say as casually as possible. She didn't want to draw any further attention to the situation. It would definitely already be weird enough to everyone that Toni was giving Shelby her sweater. She was glad half the group was asleep. 

  


"No, Toni..." Shelby began but Toni cut her off. 

  


"Dude, I'm from Minnesota. You're as Southern as it gets. I think I'm more equipped to handle the cold." Toni wasn't going to let up. She didn't care what anyone thought, even Shelby. She wasn't going to sit there shivering, freezing to death. "At least take it until you warm up a little, no big deal."

  


Shelby sucked her lip softly between her teeth, a smile pulling at her mouth. She reached down for Toni's sweatshirt, handling it carefully, as if it was something very fragile. 

  


"Besides." Toni went on. "My girl Martha here is like a furnace." Martha laughed as she wrapped her arm around the girl snuggling further into her lap. 

  


Toni and Shelby watched each other intently. Shelby was still delicately handling the sweatshirt. Toni looked on, eager to see her put it on, to see her wear her clothes. 

  


She loved the idea and really, this was just an excuse. She'd lay on the beach on many more nights than she'd care to admit fantasising about things like this. She'd imagine Shelby transferring to her school, taking her on dates and giving her her jacket as they walked home. She imagined Shelby borrowing her t shirt to sleep in or her sweater the next morning when she needed something new to wear. This was as close as she could get to those little fantasies for now. 

  


Shelby stroked at the fabric of the sweater, noting the tiny little holes at the cuff of the sleeves. She couldn't hold back the smile pulling at her lips. She unfolded the fabric in her hands and pulled the sweater over her head. Toni's scent hit her instantly. 

  


Shelby smiled grateful at Toni who gave her a wink that flipped her stomach. She watched as the blonde wrapped her arms around herself, hugging the sweater against her body. The cold that her little red tank top most definitely didn't protect her from was worth it. 

  


///

  


The wind thankfully died down as quickly as it had picked up, before the girls had even had a chance to wake to the cold. The lack of wind once again leaving a dry heat to settle over the island. It was definitely too warm for a sweater now but Shelby kept it on

  


"Anyone else gotta pee?" Toni offered to the group. She'd paid attention over the last hour to the girls heading off in pairs to use the bathroom and her timing was calculated. She knew only Shelby would need to go. Shelby's head raised quickly at the words as Toni expected and they were soon breaking into the trees to find a suitable peeing spot. 

  


"Do you actually have to pee?" Shelby snaked an arm around Toni's waist when they were far enough into the trees. 

  


Toni barked a laugh. "What? Do you think I'm taking you off into the woods for something else?"

  


"Yes." Shelby squeezed her waist, twisting the other girl around to face her. Shelby locked her arms around her, clasping them together at the small of Toni's back. Toni's body bumped against hers and they giggled together. They looked at each other for a moment before Toni pressed a quick kiss against Shelby's lips. 

  


"I actually do have to pee." She grinned, peeling herself out of Shelby's arms. The blonde let out a disappointed groan as Toni slipped out of her arms and made her way to a nearby tree.

  


Shelby hummed out a song as Toni squatted down, neither of them needed that distraction anymore, comfortable enough with each other to pee without it but it had become a little tradition between them. 

  


"Alright, if you don't need to pee, let's head back." Toni nodded very seriously to Shelby when she had finished, who once again groaned her disapproval, taking hold of Toni's arms, dragging her into her own body. Toni grinned. 

  


"Stop." Shelby whined. Toni placed both her hands on the blonde's waist, rubbing softly. Shelby pulled back to look at her. 

  


"I know my priority, stranded on a deserted island, shouldn't be when I'm next gonna have sex with you...but it totally is." Shelby laughed at herself. Toni smirked arrogantly, pulling Shelby back against her. 

  


She hummed against the side of Shelby's neck, planting a series of soft kisses. "Makes two of us."  
Shelby took a few steps, backing Toni up against a nearby tree. The soft kisses against her neck continued.

  


Toni’s head immediately fell back against the tree, her hands dropping to the the small of Shelby’s back and then down to grab her ass. She pulled Shelby roughly against her, her hands squeezing tightly.

  


Shelby nuzzled into her neck, pressing her lips along Toni’s jaw, trailing up to her cheek and then back to her neck.

  


“I cannot for the life of me keep my hands off of you.” Shelby breathed, fingers toying with the hem of Toni’s tank top. She slipped her fingers under it, Toni’s skin burning beneath her fingertips.

  


“I love your ass.” Toni squeezed tightly again, giving her hands a rough shake causing Shelby’s ass to bounce softly in her hands. If Toni's hands weren't on Shelby, her mind was. She'd never experienced such a strong and intense attraction to someone; physically or emotionally. Shelby was so soft and warm and Toni's hands seemed to fit neatly into every crease of her body. She hadn't considered herself a particularly sexual person before, no more so than average, until after their night under the lychee tree. They'd both sparked something within each other, a spark Toni couldn't help but chase. Shelby was right; the fact that they could run out of food or get gravely injured or sick or succumb to the elements at any moment should be at the forefront of her mind. But it was Shelby who very much was. 

  


Shelby chuckled at the pull of Toni's hands, fingers now playing along the waistband of Toni’s shorts. Toni kissed her deeply as her shorts were inched ever so slightly down but still covering her completely.

  


They hadn't stopped kissing, a sheen of sweat starting to cover them both. Little beads dripping down Toni's forehead as Shelby pressed against her, her back scratching against the tree behind. Toni's hands trailed up the small of Shelby's back, her fingers digging into her skin as they made their way up to cup at Shelby's neck and face. She could feel the sweat pool under her hairline, she stroked her fingers there, enjoying the feeling. 

  


"How annoying is it gonna be....." Toni breathed against Shelby's lips, still stroking at the base of her neck. "If I really want you to fuck me while you're wearing my sweater." 

  


Shelby moaned into her mouth, feeling herself throb at Toni's words. She kissed Toni deeper, pushing her whole body against the other girl, rocking her hips into her. They were growing increasingly comfortable and confident with each other. Shelby didn't hold anything back anymore and Toni kept exploring the spark Shelby had ignited, unravelling with it. 

  


One of Shelby's hands slipped into the front of Toni's shorts, under her underwear and straight between her legs, the other bracing herself against the bark of the tree, just behind Toni's head. Toni shuffled her feet in the dirt to spread her legs wider so Shelby had better access. 

  


Shelby didn't want to take her shorts off, Toni realised. She knew her well enough now, knew the things she liked and the things she wanted to experiment with. Shelby liked when things felt particularly dirty; clothes completely or partially still on, Toni making her come while her own underwear was still half way down her thighs, Toni's hand wrapped around her wrists pinning them against whatever was under or behind her. Shelby had made an extensive list in her head of all the little things that really got to her. 

  


Fucking Toni against a tree so close to where everyone else was, wearing the other girl's sweater that she knew would soon be dripping with sweat, Toni still fully clothed, definitely scratched the little dirty itch Shelby had aching in her. 

  


Shelby started to rub circles over Toni's clit, not dipping her fingers lower into the wetness she knew was pooled between Toni's legs because Toni liked the delicious burn of a little bit more friction on her clit to begin with. However, with almost no wetness whatsoever she knew it wouldn't be enjoyable. But she also knew Toni was far too wet to dip her hand lower, there'd be no friction at all if she did. Instead, she pulled her hand from Toni's shorts and brought it up between them. Toni watched her tongue flicker out over her fingers, wetting them just enough. Toni could feel it already, her stomach fluttering in anticipation and at the fact Shelby knew her so fucking well. 

  


The hand was immediately shoved back inside her underwear and Toni's hips rocked against Shelby's fingers that were already rubbing against her clit in exactly the way Toni needed. Toni padded the fingers of one of her hands at the base of Shelby's neck where sweat continued to pool. She tugged slightly at the damp hair there, twirling it on her fingers. The dirty little itch in Shelby had set off the dirty little itch inside herself and this was one of the things that sparked it; Shelby hot and sweaty and unanchored. She pushed her free hand under her own blue sweater covering Shelby's back to grasp at the damp skin there, her head falling back against the tree at the feeling. 

  


"Shit, Shelby." Toni moaned, digging her nails into the back of Shelby's neck in the way she knew Shelby liked. "I'm gonna come already."

  


"Not yet." Shelby shook her head, taking Toni's bottom lip between her teeth and sucking on it. Toni groaned, digging her nails harder against Shelby's skin. She didn't know if she could agree to that, her mind was running wild. She was consumed with thoughts of exactly where they were and exactly what they were doing. She was pulled in by every little movement and sound Shelby made and the thoughts of what she wanted to do to Shelby when Shelby was done with her. 

  


The hand that Shelby had been bracing herself with on the tree fell down to grasp Toni's rocking hip. "Not yet." She breathed again. She dipped her fingers lower, finally, into the heat and wetness between Toni's legs. Each time she was still blown away by the feeling, by how wet Toni was. She immediately slipped two fingers easily inside Toni, the girl against the tree gasping at the sudden stretch. 

  


"That doesn't help with 'not yet'." Toni shook her head, breathing harshly and pulling Shelby's head to the side, biting at the skin of her neck. Toni could taste her sweat and feel it under her tongue, she lapped at it and then bit down again. This only made Shelby's fingers speed up inside of her. Shelby didn't fuck her gently or slowly, she was pressing her fingers roughly inside her over and over and Toni's hips couldn't keep up with the pace. The pull of her shorts and underwear biting into her skin because of Shelby's hand was pushing Toni closer to the edge. Shelby revelled in the constraint the shorts had against her hand, making her work harder. 

  


"Shelby, Shelby, Shelby." Toni moaned against the blonde's neck, trying incredibly hard not to bite hard enough to leave any evidence but she could barely think. Both of Toni's hands wrapped around the blondes neck as she pulled her head back. She looked down between their bodies, at the movement of Shelby's arm, scratching at her skin, shoving her fingers into damp hair. 

  


"My clit." Toni choked out, desperately ready to come. She knew Shelby knew that's where her focus had to be so she knew the blonde was teasing her not giving her what she wanted. 

  


"Shhh.." Shelby immediately hushed her, uncurling her fingers from around the hip she was pressing back into the tree and clamping her hand over Toni's mouth. Toni moaned against it, her eyes falling shut. Toni was thinking that this would do it; this rough, unrelenting, controlling side of Shelby was going to make her come without the stimulation she had forever before needed on her clit. The angle was awkward, Shelby's body now pressed up against Toni, her elbow digging into her between them but Toni even loved that. Toni's eyes opened again to find Shelby staring at her intently, her eyes dark, her pupils blow, beads of sweat dripping down from her hairline. 

  


Shelby gave in, shifting her fingers and attention back to Toni's clit, still staring deeply into her eyes. Toni nodded her head desperately against the hand Shelby had over her mouth. She wanted to tell her; "yes, that's it, that's fucking it." But the hold Shelby had over her mouth was tight and Toni wasn't sure she could manage the words anyway. 

  


Shelby's head suddenly shot to the right, a branch snapping and then rustling drawing her attention. She dropped her hand from Toni's mouth at the same time as her hand withdrew from her shorts. She only just managed to take a single step back when Nora and Leah came into view. Toni's head whipped to the side, her eyes meeting Leah's. 

  


Leah and Nora stopped walking, spotting the two girls by the tree. Everyone was silent for a long awkward moment staring at each other. 

  


Shelby looked between Nora and Leah, tucking strands of hair behind her ears and then scratching at her neck. She was waiting for someone to say something, anything. She glanced to Toni who was only just pushing herself off of the tree to stand unsupported, and then back at the other two girls. 

  


"All good?" Leah looked between them genuinely concerned, awkwardness hanging in the air. They looked like two deer caught in headlights. Leah wondered if they'd been fighting. When neither of them answered, Leah looked to Nora who looked as confused as she was. She turned back to the other two girls and started laughing. 

  


"What the hell are you both staring at?" She laughed at them, easing the tension in the air. She shook her head, pushing her hand on her knee as she stepped up the steep hill to where Toni and Shelby were. 

  


Toni and Shelby still said nothing. Toni discretely adjusted her shorts. 

  


"Have you been crying?" Leah narrowed her eyes at Shelby as she got closer. 

  


"What? No." That snapped Shelby out of her daze. She forced a laugh of her own and stepped back from Toni. "Just another....minor....disagreement. You know us." She explained, gesturing awkwardly to Toni without looking at her. Toni was still frozen in place, unsure what exactly the two girls had seen. 

  


"A disagreement that would prevent you from helping us with firewood? Dot said supply is 'dangerously low'." Nora quoted Dot's words. 

  


"No." Shelby smiled tightly before adopting her usual bright tone. "It's done. Over. Resolved. We are mighty good. Ready to help!" 

  


Toni watched on as Shelby became her cheery, helpful, optimistic self again, a far cry from the girl who moments ago had her pinned to a tree, fucking her brains out. The sudden change made the ache between Toni's legs a hundred times worse. Toni seeing a side of Shelby no one else ever had, a side only for her, filled her stomach with fire. 

  


Shelby sprung towards them, painfully aware of Toni's sweater saturated with her sweat, sticking to her back. "Right, Toni?" Shelby glanced over her shoulder at Toni with wide eyes, gesturing for her to play along.  
"Right." Was all Toni could say, her voice low, cracking at the word. She cleared her throat quickly. Shelby followed behind Leah and Nora. Toni watched her, sucking her lower lip between her teeth. She groaned internally at the sight of the dark patches on her sweater where Shelby's sweat had seeped through and her mind flashed back to seconds ago, when Shelby's hand was between her legs. Fucking Leah and Nora, she thought bitterly, scowling after them. 

  


Shelby glanced over her shoulder again, a coy smile playing at her lips. Toni couldn't help but let out a small laugh and Shelby smiled brighter. 

  


"Coming?" Shelby grinned at her, a playful twinkle in her eye at her own joke. She winked. 

  


Toni grumbled, entirely unamused, rolling her eyes as she followed. She had most definitely not, the uncomfortable wetness between her legs evident of that as she walked. 

  


///

  


Later that night, Fatin pulled Jeanette's gummy bears from her suitcase, waving them in front of the fire. 

  


"Ladies." She popped one into her mouth. "Shall we?"

  


The bag was passed around the fire, each girl slipping a piece of the candy out and popping it into their mouth. Everyone laughed when Martha split one in half, dropping the other half back into the bag with a sheepish smile. 

  


"I think I'm sticking with the alcohol." Shelby decided after toying with the piece of candy for a moment before putting it back in the bag. Fatin passed her the half empty bottle of vodka with a sweet smile. 

  


"Not your thing?" Toni scooted over next to Shelby who'd already necked at the bottle in her hands. 

  


"I know how alcohol makes me feel." Shelby explained taking another drink. "I just don't know if this is the place for me to try that kind of thing out."

  


"That's cool." Toni nodded, giving her a little nudge, plucking the bottle of vodka from her hands. Shelby grinned at her as she drank before accepting the bottle back. Toni's fingers lingered on hers as they exchanged it. They both stared at each other for an intense moment, the memories of the afternoon passing back through their minds. Toni licked her lips and Shelby's eyes followed her tongue. 

  


They were interrupted by Fatin wrapping her arms around Shelby's shoulders and pulling her up to her feet. Toni laughed, glancing around at everyone, the girls all on their feet laughing and dancing. Toni jumped to her feet to join them. 

  


They danced around the fire, singing and laughing. Soon, Rachel and Toni set up a wrestling match between them that Fatin used her toothbrush to commentate on. 

  


Shelby was very drunk, hanging from Martha's side, watching the girls wrestle playfully in the sand. She was jumping and cheering with Martha, watching Toni longingly. Shelby's heart felt so full watching Toni mess around and have fun, have a good time. Surprisingly, the fight never turned too serious. Shelby's thoughts briefly wondered to Toni playing basketball, how she'd love to watch her. Her drunk mind wasn't able to hold onto the thought for long. 

  


Toni kept flashing glances at Shelby who couldn't take her eyes off of her. There was something so attractive about Toni's cockiness and the way her body moved, twisting and pulling and flexing as she fought playfully against Rachel. Shelby's mind wondered back to earlier in the forest, against the tree, as she watched. Again, the thought soon drunkenly slipping away as quickly as it had come. 

  


Fatin called the fight a draw and Shelby immediately bounced over to Toni as everyone mingled. 

  


"That was hot." She wrapped one arm around Toni, grinning. Toni laughed, steadying her as she wobbled. Shelby pressed her face into Toni's shoulder, giggling. Shelby sounded even more southern when she was drunk, Toni loved it, pointing it out to her. 

  


She held Shelby against her, glancing around at the others who weren't paying any particular attention to them. Everyone was drunk or high or both, they were all hanging off of each other. This wasn't too weird. 

  


Shelby slipped her hand around the back of Toni's neck, leaning back to look at her, still giggling. Toni had to outstretch both her arms to hold the leaning girl upright. She liked seeing Shelby so free and happy. 

  


Fatin danced past them, slapping Toni's ass as she did, pulling Leah along with her. She shot Toni a wink as she went and Toni rolled eyes. Her attention focused back on Shelby. Shelby had now twisted to the side of her so one hand was wrapped around her back, the other rubbing back and forth over her stomach. Toni draped her arm over Shelby's shoulders, pulling her into her side. 

  


"Are you good?" Toni grinned at her, holding onto the hand that Shelby was rubbing back and forth across her stomach. Shelby interlocked their fingers, making Toni draw her eyes away to look back around the group. 

  


"Let's go somewhere where I can kiss you." Shelby said loudly, not making any attempt to whisper. She squeezed Toni's hand, licking her lips, her demeanour changing into something more serious. 

  


Before Toni could reply, Martha crashed over to them, wrapping her arm around Shelby and dragging her to the side. They almost crashed down onto the sand, neither of them steady on their feet. Toni laughed heartily. 

  


"I love you guys so much!" Martha called up into the sky, head thrown back, pulling the three of them into a group hug. Shelby's hand twisted to Toni's waist mid-hug, giving a wanting squeeze. Martha held them smushed against each other, calling up into the sky how much she loved them again. Shelby was staring intensely at Toni, who couldn't take her eyes away either. The shouts drew everyone else's attention and soon everyone was pressed and pushed against each other in the middle of the beach in a massive group hug. 

  


"Whoever just grabbed my ass, do it again!" Fatin bellowed over the laughing of the group, causing another eruption of laughter. Their body's were all pressed together, tangled as they stumbled together. 

  


"Someone grab mine too!" Dot screamed. 

  


Shelby squished herself directly into Toni so their fronts were pressed together, tugging her hand into her own and wrapping the other hand around her neck, dragging their faces together. Everyone was dancing and bouncing around. Shelby had no idea who but someone kept bashing into the back of her, pushing her closer into Toni. Shelby pushed her lips up against her ear.

  


"Let me fuck you." She breathed hotly into her ear, this time her tone lower, her mind drawn back to earlier. Toni's stomach dropped and she swallowed thickly. She cast her eyes around the group to make sure no one had heard but they were all still singing and dancing, crushed together. Shelby slipped her hand down Toni's stomach, tracing over the front of her shorts before Toni could pull back. 

  


Shelby laughed at the look of surprise on Toni's face and dropped her hand. She threw her head back happily and laughed, her drunk thoughts soon taken over by something new. 

  


"Jesus Christ." Toni whispered to herself when Dot grabbed hold of Shelby, picked her up and twirled her around. They crashed down to the sand together laughing. 

  


"Totally fucking heard that by the way." Fatin grabbed Toni's neck, pulling her ear to her lips. Fatin winked, pressed a wet kiss to Toni's check and slapped her ass again as she danced away laughing. Toni's face blushed a deep red. 

  


Toni dropped down onto the sand with Martha by her side and watched contently as the other girls highs slowly died down. Martha passed out beside her after a while, leg thrown over Marcus. Toni wished she had her cellphone to snap a photo of the moment. 

  


Toni caught Shelby's eye across the beach as she danced with Dot and Nora. Shelby left them immediately making her way over to Toni. She flopped down beside her, dropping her head onto her shoulder. 

  


"I'm real drunk aren't I?" Shelby giggled to herself. 

  


"Fucking trashed." Toni laughed, dropping her head down against Shelby's for a quick moment. 

  


"Do you hate me like this?" Shelby groaned and then let out an embarrassed sound, covering her face with her hand.

  


"Like not even a little bit." Toni shook her head with a smile, looking into the ocean past her dancing friends. She took a moment to cement the moment in her mind, Shelby's head laying heavily on her shoulder, the warmth of the girl beside her. This was going to be a happy memory. 

  


Toni thinks if Shelby were sober, she'd have said a lot more, that the truth would have tumbled from her lips before she could catch it. 

  


"I don't hate you either." Shelby uncovered her face to look at Toni and they laughed at the silliness of her words. 

  


"Gee, thanks." Toni rolled her eyes sarcastically, poking her side. 

  


A moment passed where they just stared at each other with soft eyes. 

  


"Ugh, why can't I say it?" Shelby groaned latching a hand onto Toni's thigh. She shook her head, laughing softly at herself and then her mouth settled into a line. 

  


Toni swallowed. "Say what?" It was barely a whisper. Toni's heart clenched in her chest, thinking of the possibilities of what Shelby could want to say. The moment was intense. Shelby looked between her eyes and her lips and sighed. 

  


"God, I bet I've already said enough tonight." She finally decided, groaning in embarrassment. 

  


"Don't worry, I'll tell you everything in the morning." Toni chuckled to another groan from Shelby. Shelby tucked herself back into Toni's side and Toni delicately wrapped her arm around the small of her back, holding her in close.

  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've split the final chapter into 2...so there's a last chapter after this. No smut in this chapter unfortunately if you're here for it, but there will be in the next. 
> 
> This chapter feels a little different to the rest but I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thank you for reading!

  


Toni had stopped counting the number of days it had been since the plane crash. She just knew that it had been long enough now without any hope of rescue that Dot had insisted on 24/7 fire duty again, worrying that the lighter they had would only last so long. They wouldn't make the same mistake they did with the rations, taking precious resources for granted. So Toni was sat by the fire, hugging her knees to her chest, her head rested on top of them, staring into the pile of firewood crackling and popping in front of her. 

  


Toni didn't mind fire duty. She liked the quiet and she struggled to sleep at night anyway. Her thoughts, as always lately, were of Shelby. She'd never admit it to anyone but that was the thing, the only thing, getting her through this; thinking of what they could have together when it was all over. Sometimes her fantasises ran so free and wild that she'd laugh at herself. She imagined going back to Texas with Shelby, confronting her father, beating him to a bloody pulp and saving Shelby from the life she knew that she so desperately didn't want to go back to. She imagined Shelby coming back to Minnesota with her and Marty and them getting their own place together with the bank they were going to make from this whole nightmare. 

  


When Toni was on fire duty, she always placed herself where Shelby was in her line of view. Her eyes would flicker between Shelby and the fire until the sun came up. Tonight, Shelby had turned in her sleep, facing away from her but if Toni looked closely she could still see her back softly rising and falling as she breathed.

  


Toni felt safer when she was on fire duty; she trusted herself, knew that the fire wouldn't go out and that if anything happened then she'd be awake for it. At night she tossed and turned, waking up periodically to check that whoever was on fire duty was still there, still awake and that the fire was still going. She decided that she for the most part may as well do it herself, so she did and no one complained. 

  


Some nights Shelby joined her for a few hours but she always ended up falling asleep. They talked all night over the fire until she did. Toni would sit close to her and sometimes Shelby would fall asleep still holding her hand. Toni would stay in the same position until the sun came up. She always made sure to move by morning, before anyone else woke. 

  


Tonight, after some tossing and turning of her own, Fatin had dropped herself to the sand beside Toni with a grumble. 

  


"All of you needed therapy before this anyway..." Fatin sighed. "But fuck, we're gonna be there for a long ass time after this." 

  


Toni laughed. "It's fucked up." She agreed. She felt a lot more than that, had a lot more to say than that but it only ever came out with Shelby. 

  


"I'm sure it'd be a lot worse for you without her." Fatin looked over to where Shelby was sleeping soundly and Toni followed her gaze. 

  


"Yeah." Toni admitted honestly. She'd spoken briefly to Fatin about Shelby, comments here and there. Shelby had already told Toni that Fatin knew something was going on between them so she was the only person Toni could speak to. Sometimes Toni felt like she could burst with all that she was feeling and she wanted to tell everyone, she wanted to tell Marty but she never would. Hell, she hadn't even told Shelby how she felt yet, not really. 

  


Toni knew she was an intense person, she felt everything so deeply. Shelby was only just starting to accept herself for who she really was, Toni didn't want to bombard her with her feelings on top of that and scare her off. She'd been patient and let everything happen at Shelby's pace and she was happy to continue to do that. She couldn't ruin this. 

  


"You love her, don't you?" Fatin asked but Toni could tell it wasn't really a question. She swallowed, keeping her eyes firmly on the flames dancing in front of her, her jaw set. 

  


Toni knew how she felt and it didn't scare her, not even a little. What scared her was not knowing how Shelby felt. Fatin seemed to read her mind. 

  


"You don't have to tell me...but you should tell her." Fatin's voice was soft but then she laughed, adding. "Hell, in this place we could all fucking die tomorrow, like who knows, right?" 

  


Toni chuckled, shaking her head. She knew it was true, it was what kept her up at night. Fatin gave her knee a squeeze before standing. 

  


"We both know she feels the same." Fatin's words soothed the burning in Toni's heart, the little itch of doubt that maybe Shelby didn't care about her as much. "I give you full permission to throw my toothbrush into the ocean if she doesn't say it back." Fatin bumped her hip into Toni playfully, cupping the back of her head with a reassuring hand. Toni looked up at her and smiled a grateful smile. 

  


She watched Fatin head back to sleep and then waited for the sun to rise. 

  


  


////

  


  


After a night on fire duty, Toni napped during the day when she could. Just before Toni lay down to sleep that morning Shelby, Rachel and Dot had made off into the forest to get firewood, their need for a seemingly endless supply these days meaning the trips happened more frequently. 

  


Toni thought she was dreaming at first when she heard shouting across the beach. She couldn't make out what was being said, she just knew there were panicked shouts. In her semi-conscious state, she shuffled in the sand and after a moment, suddenly woke with a start. 

  


Her eyes flew open, her heart racing, still dazed. She squinted in the sun towards the commotion, already scrambling to her feet before she could see what was going on. 

  


Across the sand she saw Nora running towards Rachel and Dot who were supporting a barely walking Shelby between them. Dot was calling for help. Suddenly, Toni was sprinting towards them. Nora had made off some time before Toni had managed to spring to her feet, but Toni arrived just a second behind her, her feet slapping across the wet sand as fast as she could ever remember them moving. 

  


The moment Toni arrived in front of them, Rachel pulled away from Shelby with a grimace causing Shelby to lose her balance, falling harshly to the sand with a pained yelp. Toni's body flushed with anger and before she could stop herself, she shoved Rachel hard in the chest, making her stumble backwards. 

  


"You fucking asshole!" Toni snarled, pushing her again. 

  


Rachel grimaced and then matched Toni's angry snarl, shoving her back with one hand. "I've just fucking carried her all the way back here!" Rachel shouted in her face then grimaced once again in pain, bending over. The mention of Shelby dragged Toni from her haze of fury. She looked down to Shelby still on the ground. 

  


Toni dropped to her knees, panic on her face and in her voice. "What the fuck happened?" 

  


It was only then that she noticed Shelby's leg covered in blood, blood still dripping from underneath a makeshift bandage. Toni reached her trembling hands out to the wound, hovering them above it, unsure what to do. She glanced at Shelby who was pale and had tears streaking down her face. Toni's heart sunk. 

  


"Let's get her over there." Dot instructed with the most serious look Toni had seen in her eyes. Her heart thudded in her chest, she couldn't take her eyes off of Shelby's face. The bleeding looked bad, blood coating the entirety of Shelby's right leg, the makeshift bandage saturated. 

  


Toni helped Dot and Nora get Shelby back to her feet. Shelby groaned in pain and Toni found herself reaching for her hand, grasping it tightly. Dot and Toni positioned themselves on either side of Shelby, each of their arms scooping under one of her thighs to pull her off the ground. Shelby's arms wrapped around their shoulders as Nora supported Shelby's back from behind, keeping her upright. They made their was across the beach as fast as they could. 

  


When they arrived, they lowered Shelby gently to the ground. Leah and Fatin had witnessed what was going on and had raided Fatin's suitcase for a new suitable makeshift bandage. Leah dropped down next to Shelby with the sweater she'd found.

  


"What the fuck happened?" Toni asked again, she could hear the panic in her own voice. She watched as Dot peeled the makeshift bandage already in situ from around Shelby's thigh to a fresh gush of blood from her wound. Shelby looked down at the wound, tears trickling down her face and groaned shakily. Toni immediately shuffled around behind her, placing both her hands on Shelby's shoulders, giving as reassuring a squeeze as she could. Shelby's head dropped back against her as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. 

  


"She slipped down a ridge, right into a branch." Dot was calmer now, her hands scrunched into the fabric of the old bandage putting pressure on the wound. 

  


"Get me clean water." She instructed Fatin steadily, taking hold of Leah's hands and putting them where hers had been a moment before, applying pressure. 

  


Toni watched on in horror. Everyone's hands covered in blood as they cleaned and pushed and pulled and lifted and ripped at the sweater to tie around Shelby's thigh. Toni's had grabbed hold of Shelby's hand, holding it down at her side. She was telling Shelby that she was okay, that everything would be fine but she wasn't sure if it was true. Her voice must have given her doubt away. She sat down in the sand behind Shelby and let Shelby's head dropped back into her lap, at Dot's instruction. Toni wrapped her arm around her shoulders, still holding her hand. Shelby squinted in the sun looking up at her, her eyelids fluttering. 

  


Toni only noticed that her own hand was also bloody when she stroked against Shelby's hair, telling her she was going to be okay. Shelby let out a cry of pain as Dot and Leah tightened the ripped sweater around her thigh. 

  


Shelby was pale and clammy, her eyes shutting for longer and longer each time they closed. She was muttering a prayer under her breath. Toni thought she might be sick, a feeling of worry coming over her entire body, a worry she had never felt before. She felt helpless and more scared than she had ever been. All she could do was continue to stroke Shelby's hair, holding her tightly, telling her everything was going to be fine. 

  


The commotion gradually died down around them, the make shift bandage stopped any further bleeding, the water used to clean the wound had washed a lot of the blood from Shelby's leg and she was now covered in every piece of spare clothing they had to keep her warm, her head still in Toni's lap. 

  


Toni was vaguely aware of Nora assisting Rachel in the background, realising she must be injured too. Time seemed to drag on as they waited to see if Shelby would be okay, all they could do was wait. Agonising minutes passed as Toni continued to stroke at Shelby's hair, speaking to her. She wasn't even sure what she was saying, she just knew it made Shelby speak back, kept her awake. The others gradually dispersed, giving them more space the more Shelby came around. Dot reappeared every five or so minutes to reassessed the wound. When Fatin left their side, she squeezed Toni's shoulder and told her Shelby was going to be okay. 

  


After about an hour, Dot told Toni she could let Shelby rest, that Toni could leave and she would watch over her instead. Toni declined, faux nonchelance about the situation. Dot gave her a small smile and didn't insist. 

  


Martha joined them after a while when Shelby had perked up more. Shelby still lay in Toni's lap as they spoke. The colour had returned to Shelby's face and she had stopped shivering under the layers of clothes. When Shelby insisted that she was fine to sit up, Toni stayed by her side for some time longer. Just to be sure. Shelby told them what had happened; how she'd slipped, tumbling down the ridge, the branch of a fallen tree piercing her leg. Rachel and Dot had scrambled down after her, somehow getting her back up the ridge which was the only way back. Rachel had twisted her back but had continued to help carry Shelby the whole way back. A pang of guilt crossed Toni, followed by a flood of relief.

  


Martha wouldn't leave them alone but Toni thought it was sweet how much she cared for Shelby, she was glad someone else did. So she left them to speak and made off to find Rachel. 

  


"Hey, I'm sorry...about earlier." Toni squatted down by where Rachel was led, scrapping sheepishly at the sand with her fingers. 

  


"Don't worry about it." Rachel gave her a tight, knowing smile and nodded. "I get it." 

  


"Cool." Toni nodded back. "Thank you for....you know..." She trailed off not wanting to sound weird. Why should she be thanking Rachel for helping Shelby? Rachel wouldn't understand why but still, Toni wanted to express her genuine gratitude. Rachel could have left Shelby, putting her own injury first and Shelby could well have died. 

  


"Don't worry about it." Rachel repeated with a smile. 

  


"Is there anything I can do to help?" Toni offered but Rachel just needed to rest. Toni thanked her again before she left and she knew Rachel knew she really meant it. 

  


Toni cleaned off her hands and the blood that had smeared over her legs somehow before making her way back to Shelby and Martha. She brought them water and lychee berries, the tension finally leaving her body when she saw Shelby laughing again. Relief washed over her, the reality of the situation they were in and the danger they faced now much closer to home. 

  


///

  


Toni insisted she was on fire duty again that night, although it was much more like Shelby duty. Toni made sure Dot redressed the wound before Shelby settled to sleep and insisted that she should sleep with the extra clothing they had to keep her warm. No one argued. All Toni wanted to do was lie beside her and hold her, to climb under the thin pile of clothes with her and never let her out of her sight. 

  


Instead she sat by her side while she slept closer to the fire than usual, again, at Toni's insistence. Toni watched over her all night, a few times each hour peeling the layers of clothing back from Shelby's leg to check if she was bleeding again. Just to be sure. 

  


When Shelby woke, Toni brought her water and food and re-checked her leg once again. 

  


When Dot woke, Toni called her over to check it too. 

  


"I just really don't want it getting infected." Toni told her later that day pouring cool water over the tear in her skin. Shelby grimaced, sucking her tongue to the roof of her mouth. 

  


"Sorry." Toni tenderly stroked her fingers against Shelby's knee. She stopped pouring for a second and then continued.

  


Shelby watched Toni's lips settle into a straight line of concentration as she tended to the wound. Shelby had felt Toni check countless times throughout the night that she wasn't still bleeding. She thought back to when Rachel and Dot were scrambling to try to get her back up the ridge and how all she could think of was Toni; how if Toni was there with her somehow it would have all been alright, how when Toni came rushing over to her on the beach, everything somehow was, despite the situation. It was a blur really, she'd lost a lot of blood, she'd been so dizzy and nauseous. But she could remember Toni holding her tightly, she could see her terrified face so clearly. Shelby still felt sick and dizzy now but she knew she would be okay. 

  


"Toni." She cleared her throat. Toni hummed her acknowledgement but didn't look up, too focused on her leg. Shelby smiled to herself. 

  


"Thank you for taking care of me." It was almost a whisper, she meant it so sincerely. 

  


Toni's laugh was sad. "I honestly don't know what would have happened without Dot." She shook her head, upset. Then she sat back, her attention finally away from the cut and looked at Shelby, shaking her head again. "Like, I really don't fucking know what would have happened without Dot." Toni's mind was flooded with blood and panic and just not knowing what the fuck to do. 

  


And then suddenly she was crying, a proper cry that shook her shoulders, making her look even smaller and more fragile than usual. Toni dipped her gaze away from Shelby, wiping at her cheeks, sucking her lip between her teeth. 

  


"Please come here." Shelby whispered, unable to easily move to Toni in her current position. Toni immediately fell into her arms, crying against her chest. Shelby held her tighter than she ever had, tears brimming in her own eyes. There was so much built up between them, feelings unsaid, that were spilling over the edge now. 

  


"God." Toni breathed after a moment, pulling herself together. She pulled her head from Shelby's chest and looked at her. She laughed a big laugh as she wiped away the tears from Shelby's cheek. "We're fucking dumb." She sounded relieved, she was. This situation could have ended so much worse. Toni could have lost her. And she genuinely didn't know what she would have done if she had. But she hadn't. Shelby was sat in front of her, tears streaking her face, laughing too. 

  


"I mean it, thank you for taking care of me." Shelby repeated when their laughter died down. Toni turned back to her wound, inspecting it again. 

  


"I'm going to make sure you're okay." Toni's words were heavy, too heavy for her to look at Shelby when she said them. She felt so vulnerable. So she busied herself with dabbing at the cut, and pouring water over it. "Not just now, not just with this... but while we're here...I don't know...when we get out of here...I'm going to make sure you're okay." Toni fumbled awkwardly with her words, they weren't her strong point. But Shelby understood everything she said. 

  


Shelby was still spilling over in that moment, Toni's words making her spill over even more. She opened her mouth to speak, to pour her heart out, to tell Toni every thought and feeling that had crossed her mind but the words wouldn't rise in her throat. She closed her mouth then opened it and tried again. Still, nothing. 

  


Toni glanced at her as she tried and swallowed thickly, waiting. The conversation she had with Fatin just last night fresh in her mind. Toni had wanted to bare her soul as she held Shelby bleeding on the beach, in front of everyone. The sheer panic of the situation making her want to rush out everything but she didn't. She couldn't then. She couldn't now. If she told Shelby how she felt, how she really felt, maybe it would ruin everything. Maybe Shelby didn't feel the same and she'd just make everything awkward. She couldn't risk it. So she swallowed again and then pushed herself to her feet. 

  


"Gonna grab something new to cover it." With that, Toni headed off leaving Shelby with her words still hanging dryly in her throat, staring after her. 

  


  


///

  


A few days later, Shelby was back to her usual self. The wound was closing nicely and there were no signs of infection - Toni was sure to check multiple times a day. Shelby still had to hobble around and was strictly camp bound while she continued to heal but she felt better. 

  


She even suggested another ice breaker. 

  


"There's only so many times we can play never have I ever." Rachel complained as she tipped the last of their vodka evenly into the coke cans. 

  


"Never have I ever is only limited by how fucking boring you people want to be." Fatin rolled her eyes. "I have an endless amount of questions." 

  


Toni grabbed two of the cans, taking one over to Shelby who was already sat around the fire. She kicked her foot playfully as she walked away after passing her the can. Shelby blushed, staring after her. 

  


The mood was the highest it had been in days as they played, laughing at and teasing each other for the questions they asks or for what they drank for. 

  


"Never have I ever had sex in a car." It was Dot's turn. 

  


Only Toni and Fatin drank. 

  


"Toni, don't make me hotter for you than I already am." Fatin sighed dramatically, fanning herself with her hand. 

  


"You've got about a week left before she jumps you." Leah rolled her eyes at Fatin and then laughed with Toni. 

  


"Never have I ever gone skinny dipping." Leah took her turn next after thinking for a moment. 

  


Toni and Shelby locked eyes immediately and laughed, lifting their drinks to their mouths. They were the only ones drinking, everyone looked at them.

  


"You two do know we all literally witness this happen, right?" Rachel piped up. "Ya'll ain't slick." 

  


To Toni's surprise, Shelby just laughed harder. "Can't a girl have a little fun when she's starving to death on a deserted island?"

  


They continued to play, Fatin of course coming up with the most outrageous, dirty questions that no one ended up drinking for. 

  


After Fatin's fourth turn that resulted in no one drinking, Nora piped up. "You need to ask questions the rest of us might actually drink to." She brushed her hair behind her ear, smiling shyly. 

  


"Fine." Fatin decided after a moment, not waiting for another round, instead going again herself. Her eyes briefly passed over Toni before she took hold of her can and raised it to the group. "Never have I ever been in love."

  


Toni felt a wave of warmth flood over her body, that rose into her cheeks, making her flush. Her eyes remained on Fatin who didn't look at her again, her eyes instead discreetly set on Shelby. 

  


From the corner of her eye, Toni saw Leah and Nora lift their drinks. Her heart pounded in her chest as she considered what to do, as she tried desperately not to meet Shelby's eyes. Had she been in love with Regan? Yes. Was it anything close to the way she felt about Shelby? Absolutely not, it didn't come close. Shelby knew all about Regan so if Toni drunk, maybe Shelby would assume she meant her. Drinking didn't necessarily mean giving her true feelings away. Only a second had passed since Fatin had spoken but it felt like forever. 

  


Toni was painfully aware that although it had only been a few seconds since Fatin spoke that Shelby hadn't drunk. Toni knew Shelby didn't care for Andrew, that she cared deeply for her friend Becca but not to that extent. She had no reason to drink. 

  


So when another second passed and Toni couldn't help but flash her eyes over to Shelby, her heart almost leapt out of her chest when Shelby looked directly at her and raised her drink to her lips.

  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished. I hope the final chapter doesn’t disappoint, I’m not entirely satisfied with it...but it’s done!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and for all of the comments, I truly appreciate them all!
> 
> Get me at moon-cubee.tumblr.com with any comments or prompts for something else in the future!

Toni barely noticed the game had ended; everyone was suddenly moving around her, chatting amongst themselves but Toni was distracted, still looking at Shelby. Her attention only being drawn away from the blonde when Martha sat down beside her, laughing about something Toni had missed during the game. Toni pretended to know what she was talking about. 

  


When Toni turned back to look at Shelby, she was making off towards the ocean with Leah. Toni watched as they stripped down to their underwear and dipped out into the water, Leah telling Shelby the salt would be good for her leg. After a few minutes Rachel, Nora and Fatin joined them. Martha convinced Toni and Dot to join too and soon they were all laughing and splashing in the water together. 

  


"Looks like I'm keeping the toothbrush." Was the only thing Fatin said to Toni while they lulled in the ocean. 

  


After they left the water, about an hour passed before Shelby was alone again and Toni immediately seized the opportunity to approach her before she was made busy by some other person or task. 

  


"How's the leg holding up?" She asked as casually as she could. Shelby held her gaze for a long few seconds before looking down at her leg and then back to Toni. 

  


"Almost as good as new." She smiled brightly. The cut was now covered with an actual bandage from the medical supplies they had found, only now to reduce the risk of any infection. The bandage was visible, poking from the bottom of her white shorts. “God was really lookin’ out for me on this one, huh?” 

  


Toni noticed her heart thudding in her chest louder and harder than it ever had whenever she looked at or interacted with Shelby since she'd taken that drink. A simple look sent it racing in her chest, she worried Shelby could hear every beat. 

  


"Good enough to maybe come grab some more lychee's with me?" Again, Toni tried to keep her tone casual but her hammering heart cut through her words. Shelby kept holding her gaze in silence for longer than she ever had and it put Toni on edge. 

  


"Sorry, that's such a stupid fucking question." Toni laughed at herself, embarrassed. She looked around awkwardly, the smile gradually dying on her lips. 

  


"Hey, I am good as new." Shelby smiled before Toni could get lost in her own head. "I'd love to go with you." Toni told herself she imagined the emphasis on the word 'love'. 

  


"Cool." She nodded, her tension easing. Toni let the smile playing at the corner of her mouth spread fully across her lips when she turned away from Shelby. She grabbed a bag, some water, a spare bandage and threw her blue sweatshirt over her head. 

  


They let the rest of the girls know where they were going. 

  


"Don't impale yourselves on any branches!" Leah called after them drily, waving as they set off. 

  


"For the love of God, please don't impale yourselves on anything." Dot followed up with an exasperated sigh. 

  


///

  


"Of course you watch shit reality TV like that." Toni rolled her eyes, laughter rising in her throat. 

  


They walked side by the side along the now well carved out path to the lychee tree. When there was even a slight incline on their route, Toni took Shelby's hand and made sure to support her on the way up it. She'd ask Shelby how her leg was doing every time. It was always fine but Shelby loved that she asked anyway. 

  


"I thought the days of you being so mean to me were over." Shelby huffed, pushing into Toni lightly with her elbow. Toni grabbed hold of her arm as they laughed. 

  


"Just because my fingers have been inside you does not mean you get a free Keeping Up With The Kardashian's pass." Toni smirked. 

  


"Jesus Christ." Shelby pretended to cringe, pushing her elbow into Toni again, giggling at Toni's complete lack of filter. 

  


Toni still had hold of Shelby's arm, she squeezed it gently and they came to a stop for a moment. A few seconds passed as they looked at each other, their laughter fading. 

  


"Come on." Shelby finally broke the silence pressing a quick kiss to Toni's cheek then setting off again. Toni stared after her, heart once again thudding in her chest, and then followed. 

  


They continued speaking as they walked, talking about anything and everything. After all the hours they'd spent together, there was still so much more to know, to learn. There was a heaviness lingering in the air over their light chatter; an un-had conversation, un-shared feelings. Both girls ignored the lingering heaviness as they walked, enjoying the light conversation, but it was very much in the back of both their minds. 

  


Shelby stumbled once, almost losing her balance and Toni had insisted they stop for a water break. Shelby had never felt so taken care of, so cared about. 

  


Every tiny gesture Toni made told her that she must always be somewhere on Toni's mind. She swallowed thickly as they sat, thinking back to the look in Toni's eye when she'd taken that drink. She couldn't stop thinking about why Toni hadn't mentioned anything, what Toni was thinking, and it was bubbling up inside her. Toni had been so patient with her from the very start and Shelby wanted to offer her the same back. She didn't realise quite how hard it was to hold back when it was the last thing she wanted to do. It made her appreciate Toni that bit more. Shelby decided she must have rushed it, been too honest too soon. It had only been a couple of months after all.

  


////

  


When they finally got to the lychee tree, Toni dropped her bag down her shoulder, fishing a water bottle from inside. She handed it to Shelby. 

  


"What?" Toni asked when Shelby reached for the bottle, making sure to cup her hand around Toni's so she couldn't pull it away. 

  


"You're just about the softest person I've ever met." Shelby's eyes looked like they were twinkling, it made Toni's breath catch in her throat. Shelby sipped at the water, then teased; "Who'd have thought, huh?" 

  


"Well, don't go telling anyone else that." Toni laughed softly. "Or I'll tell everyone that you've got Kim Kardashian playing in the background when you're going to town on your whirlpool."

  


"Shut up." Shelby rolled her eyes and Toni laughed heartily. "She's not exactly my type.."

  


Toni's head dropped back in laughter, she stepped towards Shelby grinning. "You have a type now do you? Who'd have thought, huh?" She teased, repeating Shelby's words back to her before plucking the bottle back from her hands. 

  


When Toni started picking at the lychee's a few minutes later, Shelby frowned. They usually picked them in the morning so they were as fresh for everyone else as possible. 

  


"Aren't we stayin' the night?" Her voice was soft and shy, she felt like she didn't have a clue what was going on between them today. She assumed Toni wanted to be alone with her considering that for the past 5 nights they hadn't had a single moment to be be alone, someone always just a little too close by. 

  


"Yeah." Toni smiled at her sweetly, dropping her hands from the leaves above head, turning to face her. 

  


"Oh." Shelby nodded from where she was still perched on a nearby rock. She clasped her hands around her knees watching Toni turn back to the tree. 

  


Toni could feel the tension between them, it was becoming unbearable. They'd spent the last 3 months together, every single day, together. From bickering and fighting every time they laid eyes on each other to being wrapped up naked in each others arms on a beach God knows where. Shelby had torn right through her, ripping her open, exposing all her demons and then helping her fight each and every one. And Toni knew she'd been right there by Shelby's side while she fought her own demons too. 

  


Toni knew the bond they had formed would never be matched, not with anyone. No matter what happened when they finally left, if they ever did, nothing would ever compare to what she and Shelby had. How could it? Who else was she ever going to be in a plane crash with? Who else was she going to almost starve to death with, to face death every single day with? Who else was going to reach right into her soul and not run away from what they pulled out? Who else was ever going to make her as good as Shelby made her? 

  


Toni glanced back at Shelby still sitting silently on the rock, watching her. She quickly shifted her gaze back to the tree, trying not to spill over. 

  


Toni had seen right through Shelby from the start, she knew there was more under the surface and she'd never been more glad to be right. The beautiful blonde, God-fearing, perfect, pageant queen turned out to be the most kind, caring and compassionate person Toni had ever met. The only person Toni had ever truly trusted in her life was Martha, and she had known an awful lot of people. But then came Shelby; cutting through her angry facade, shoving a pill down her throat and saving her life; the only person who'd never run away when Toni got angry, but instead ran right back at her until they collided, knocking all of the anger right out of her. 

  


Toni's thoughts were interrupted when Shelby stood and started picking at the lychee's beside her. Toni glanced at her from the corner of her eye, revelling in their closeness. For the first time that day, Toni's heart stopped thundering in her chest. She took a breath and turned to Shelby. 

  


"I love you, too." Toni spoke the words, shaking with her emotions, to the side of Shelby's face. Her jaw set after she spoke and her eyes were soft as she waited for Shelby to turn to her. She didn't know she was going to say it, the words just finally spilled from her lips. 

  


"Oh, thank God." Shelby breathed with such relief, tension flooding from her body. She spun to face Toni, stepped the single step that was between them, crashing into her, taking Toni's face into her hands and kissing her. 

  


Toni barely returned the kiss, unable to stop the grin spreading across her face. Shelby just ended up kissing her smile-stretched lips over and over. Toni's arms wrapped around her waist, holding her as tightly as she could. After a moment she was finally able to kiss her back properly. 

  


They pulled apart. 

  


"Say it then." Toni closed her eyes blissfully, pressing her forehead against Shelby's. Shelby's hands were still on Toni's face, one of Toni's hands wrapped around one of her wrists. 

  


Toni felt like she was going to melt and burst at the same time in anticipation. Her stomach fluttered. Shelby grinned, pressing another soft kiss to Toni's lips before pulling back, resting her forehead back against Toni's. 

  


"I love you." Shelby whispered. They both laughed as they pressed their lips together again. 

  


"I thought it was too soon when you didn't say anything." Shelby admitted with a shake of her head, she was as giddy as she had ever been. 

  


"We've spent almost every waking...and sleeping moment together for three months...that's like the equivalent of a year of dating." Toni couldn't stop pulling their lips together in soft kisses. Shelby laughed. 

  


"Plus, lesbian time totally works different." Toni pulled her hand from Shelby's wrist to join the other at her waist. "We've basically been dating for like 3 years." 

  


"Why does that feel like it actually makes total sense?" Shelby furrowed her eyebrows together making Toni laugh. 

  


Their hands entwined with each other between their bodies as they stared at each other. 

  


"You love me." Toni grinned cockily at her after a moment. 

  


"Uh, you love me!" Shelby shot back, pushing their hands into Toni's stomach, with a playful eye roll. 

  


"Dentures and all." Toni grinned again, dragging Shelby back into her when she scoffed and pretended to pull away. 

  


///

  


Toni lay on her back, staring up into the darkening sky through the branches of the lychee tree. Shelby was tucked into her side. Often they just lay together, not saying or doing anything, just appreciating each other's company. Shelby thought it might be her favourite thing. She'd always struck any thoughts of girls immediately down when they inevitably flickered into her mind, she'd never once allowed herself to imagine lying with a girl like she was now before meeting Toni. As she lay without anyone else's pressure or judgement, she couldn't understand why she'd ever tried so hard to stop it. 

  


Her fingers were trailing lightly against the warm skin of Toni's stomach underneath her sweater. Her injured leg thrown over Toni's, head resting on her chest.

  


"I love you." Shelby couldn't stop saying it. Her fingers flattened, hand crawling to Toni's waist, giving it a squeeze as she spoke before she resumed what she had previously been doing, dancing her fingers across Toni's stomach. 

  


Toni closed her eyes at the words, smiling contently. She felt it. She felt more loved and cared for and safer on a deserted island than she ever had in her life. 

  


"I love you, too." She whispered back, the hand not wrapped around Shelby's back moving to run her fingers through Shelby's hair. 

  


Shelby shifted, propping herself up onto her elbow next to Toni's head, looking down at her. A quiet few moment passed as they looked at each other. Shelby reach down with her free hand to stroke across Toni's face. She followed the freckles, stroking across Toni's jawline, her chin, over her cheeks, along her forehead and then down her nose, Toni closed her eyes, revelling in the soft touch. 

  


"Your little moles and freckles are so darn sexy..." Shelby's voice was wistful and soft. 

  


Toni chuckled, opening her eyes. "Have you seen the one right at the bottom of my ass?" 

  


Shelby rolled her eyes, the reaction Toni wanted. She grinned down at her, "Yes, I have." 

  


Shelby dropped her head to place a kiss on the mole at the corner of Toni's lips, her favourite one. 

  


"And the one right by your nipple." She whispered, kissing the corner of Toni's mouth. "The one on your hip, just under where your shorts sit." Shelby kissed her lips. "The two on the inside of your thigh..." She trailed off, kissing Toni deeper. "...just where you like me to bite.” 

  


Toni flexed her fingers into Shelby's hair at her words, pulling her deeper into the kiss, letting out a soft moan against her lips. Shelby knew just how to get her, exactly what buttons to push and when to push them.

  


As soon as Toni released the hold she had on the back of Shelby's head, the blonde pushed herself up, expertly slipping her leg over Toni's hips, straddling her. Toni grinned, dropping her hands to Shelby's hips, pressing her fingers into the material of her shorts. 

  


"Careful." Toni's smile dropped briefly, a pointed look directed at Shelby's injured leg. 

  


"I'm fine." Shelby shushed her, leaning down, back arched to meet Toni's lips. Toni's hands slipped from her hips, pushing up inside the pink hoodie Shelby had on, cupping at the warm skin of her waist.

  


As they continued to kiss, Shelby found her way out of the hoodie, pulling Toni's sweater off along with it. Hot kisses were pressed against necks, along collarbones and over chests as they slipped out of their shorts, Shelby straddling Toni's hips again when they were both down to their underwear. 

  


"Let me try something." Shelby whispered, a question. Toni would let her do whatever she wanted, she nodded, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth in anticipation. 

  


The warmth and weight of Shelby's body left Toni a final time as Shelby tugged her underwear off before settling above her again. Toni glanced between their bodies, a soft throbbing starting to ache between her legs. Shelby shifted to drag Toni's underwear down her hips so she could kick them off. She placed each of her hands over Toni's boobs as she settled her hips over Toni's left thigh. Toni watched, mouth hanging open as Shelby pressed down against her, feeling the immediate heat and wetness between Shelby's legs cover her skin. 

  


"Fuck." They both breathed out at the exact same moment, eyes flickering to each other to share a small laugh before looking back to where Shelby was pressed against her thigh. 

  


Shelby began rolling her hips, experimenting with the movement. She pressed herself flush against Toni's thigh, grinding her hips, generating barely any movement but the pressure had her gasping. After a few moments, she raised her hips so she was only still just against Toni's thigh and rocked quickly, teasing herself. Toni could see the wetness streak against her leg. She latched onto Shelby's hips, digging her nails into her skin. 

  


"Is this too much?" Shelby breathed raggedly after a moment. Her face was now flushed pink, sweat beading at her hairline, strands of her now damp and curling hair across her forehead. She meant the way she was leaning on Toni, the weight she was putting on her chest but Toni loved it. 

  


"God, no." Toni managed, her eyes fleeting across every inch of Shelby's body, she didn't know where to look. Shelby kept grinding her hips, Toni's thigh slick under her. Shelby squeezed against Toni's chest as she pushed and pulled herself over her thigh. 

  


Toni watched her, greedily taking every movement and sound in. After another few seconds, Toni wanted more. Her hand uncurled from Shelby's hip and started to make it's way between Shelby's legs but Shelby grabbed it before it could reach her. She wrapped her hand around the back of Toni's and guided it between Toni's own legs. The leg Shelby wasn't currently grinding on automatically shifted out to the side, spreading her legs further apart. 

  


"Watch me." Shelby whispered, it was almost a gasp. "I want you to touch yourself while you watch me." She nodded her head at her own words, hips still moving. 

  


Toni's mouth dropped open as Shelby's fingers squeezed against her wrist, urging her to move her hand. Toni was too distracted to react, lost in the girl above her; long blonde hair falling over her shoulders, sweat dripping down her chest, cheeks flushed, working herself back and forth over Toni's thigh, saying the dirty things she was saying. Shelby arched down to kiss her, a wet, dirty kiss. 

  


"Please." She whispered when she pulled back, hand still on Toni's wrist. When she felt it finally move, she whispered a satisfied "yes" against Toni's lips, sitting back up to watch. 

  


The movement of her hips sped up as she watched Toni's fingers rub small, quick circles over her own clit. She tore her eyes away for a moment to meet Toni's. Shelby knew she'd be staring up at her with the exact look in her eye that she had. This is exactly what she wanted; Toni's eyes dark, full of desire, making Shelby feel like the best damn thing in the world. 

  


Shelby continued to brace herself against Toni's chest with one hand, the other stroking lightly at the back of Toni's hand moving between her own legs. It was sending Toni wild; knowing Shelby's fingers were right there, she could feel Shelby's fingers on the back of her hand as if they were on her clit. Toni matched the pace of Shelby's soft strokes. 

  


"I'm gonna come, Shelby, shit." Toni tried desperately to keep her eyes open, to keep watching Shelby but the feather light touches against the back of her hand were too much. Her hand slipped from Shelby's hip, down to her thigh, digging her nails harshly into her skin as she came. 

  


Shelby had been waiting, desperately holding back her own orgasm until Toni was closer to hers, she didn't expect it so soon. She watched Toni's body stiffen, arch and shake, her hips desperately pressing down against Toni's thigh harder and faster. A few seconds after Toni came, Shelby did too, revelling in the hard sting of Toni's nails digging into her skin. She dropped immediately down against Toni's chest as she came, burying her head in Toni's neck, trapping Toni's hand awkwardly between their bodies. 

  


Toni wrapped her arm around Shelby's back, keeping her against her as they breathed heavily, Shelby's body still shaking above her. Toni chuckled softly. 

  


When Shelby stopped shaking a minute later, she stayed where she was against Toni's body, pressing tiny kisses against her neck. 

  


"That was new." Toni chuckled, trying to pull her hand from between them. Shelby pulled her hips upwards to let it free without moving any other part of her body making Toni laugh again at her laziness. 

  


Shelby still didn't move from against Toni, continuing to place tiny, lazy kisses against the same part of her neck. 

  


Toni closed her eyes, humming contently, enjoying the weight of Shelby's body on top of her, her fingers lazily drawing lines up and down her back until finally, Shelby pulled her head from her neck. 

  


"Your bottom lip trembles real hard every time you come." Shelby grinned down at her. Toni just raised her eyebrow with a soft chuckle. Shelby hummed contently, continuing to stare at her bottom lip. 

  


After a few seconds, Shelby ducked her head down, taking Toni's bottom lip between her teeth, sucking gently. Toni's eyes flickered shut, a moan rising in her throat. 

  


Before Shelby could react, Toni flipped them, pushing Shelby down onto her back, remaining mindful of her leg, although a little less than before.

  


Toni said nothing, attaching her lips immediately to Shelby's neck, just below her ear, Shelby's favourite place to be kissed. Shelby's hands clasped around the back of her neck, her head falling to the side, giving Toni better access. 

  


"Bite." Shebly groaned lowly after an agonising few minutes of teasing kisses. Toni dragged her teeth along Shelby's neck, closing them down around her skin with a soft bite.

  


"Bite." Shelby groaned again, gripping tightly at Toni's hair, unsatisfied with Toni's delicacy. Toni grinned against her neck, knowing she would be and then bite down harder, making Shelby moan. 

  


Toni shuffled as she continued kissing, biting and sucking against Shelby's neck so she could reach her hand down between Shelby's legs. She braced herself on her elbow to the side of Shelby and used her other hand to squeeze at the inside of Shelby's thigh as she pushed at her legs, spreading them apart. 

  


Toni stroked her fingers against Shelby's thigh, trailing them lightly over the wetness between Shelby's legs, barely touching. She retracted her hand back ever so slightly with each raise of Shelby's hips. After the third time, Shelby huffed in frustration, tangling her hands into Toni's hair, tugging gently on it. 

  


"Make me come." She whispered desperately against Toni's lips. She kissed her deeply, trying to get her way. It didn't work, Toni instead shifted her hand back to the inside of Shelby's thigh, squeezing at her skin. Shelby let out another frustrated groan. 

  


"Please make me come." She tried again, a desperate whine. Toni nodded her approval, humming against Shelby's lips as she placed a soft kiss against them, inching her fingers back between Shelby's legs. 

  


Shelby untangled one hand from Toni's hair, trailing it down her arm to wrap around Toni's wrist. She gripped Toni's hair, tilted her head to the side and began kissing against her neck, distracting Toni from her teasing. 

  


"Do you want me to beg?" Shelby choked out another frustrated groan against Toni's neck when her efforts to get what she wanted didn't work. It wasn't really a question, more an expression of her frustration. 

  


But Toni whispered 'yes' immediately, voice low. Toni pressed her forehead against Shelby's as she spoke, staring down into her eyes and Shelby couldn't look away. The moment was intense, Shelby felt it right in the pit of her stomach. 

  


"I'll beg." Shelby whispered back, nodding, seeing Toni's eyes darken, her tongue flickering over her lips. Her stomach fluttering at the dirtiness of it all, at this side of Toni. 

  


"Yes." Toni whispered again, inching her fingers closer to where Shelby was so desperate for them to be. 

  


Toni's eyes focused on hers still, they barely blinked, breathing heavily against each others lips. Toni's stomach flared with desire, at Shelby's words, at their compatibility when it came to sex; they both wanted and enjoyed the same things, more than willing to try anything, scratch each other's dark, dirty little itches. 

  


Behind the darkness in Toni's eyes there was still a softness, a love that had been there a long time before Shelby knew what to call it. Shelby broke the intense moment by pressing her lips softly against Toni's. And then they were kissing, hot and wet and rough. Shelby couldn't stop her hips from rising up into Toni's hand. The moment she realised she had, she groaned in frustration again because Toni slipped her hand away once more. 

  


"Please, please." Shelby huffed, desperately needing Toni's fingers, the teasing almost becoming unbearable. It felt like when she had one of those itches that she don't quite know where it is so you scratch everywhere and it only serves to make the unknown area itch even more. But it was making her so wet, the teasing, she could feel it. She thought it couldn't possibly be normal to be this wet, to feel it this much. 

  


Toni always seemed to know exactly what Shelby was thinking and feeling because a second later, her fingers were finally brushing softly over her clit. It felt like Toni had been fucking her for hours already and she was already on the edge, she almost wanted to clamp her legs shut. Instead she screwed her eyes shut. 

  


"Look at me." Toni kissed her lips and Shelby immediately opened her eyes. "Keep looking at me." Toni's voice was lower and huskier than Shelby had ever heard it, but there was still a softness underneath. "Keep looking at me or I'll stop fucking you." 

  


"Fuck." Shelby moaned so loud that she was almost embarrassed. She fought hard not to let her eyes slip shut as Toni pressed their foreheads together again, holding her eyes as she slipped her fingers lower between Shelby's legs. 

  


Shelby moaned again, begging for Toni’s touch, nodding her forehead against Toni's. She'd do anything Toni said, she liked her telling her exactly what she wanted her to do. 

  


  


The eye contact as Toni slipped her finger inside Shelby was the most intense thing Shelby had ever felt in her life, she felt like she could cry. Toni hummed her approval with a nod at the wetness between Shelby's legs. Shelby found herself silently nodding back. 

  


As Toni slowly started fucking her, she flickered her tongue out against Shelby's lips, never breaking eye contact. Shelby parted her mouth, flickering her own tongue out to wet her lips, meeting Toni's. That dirty little itch being scratched at more than she ever knew it could be. 

  


A little smile flashed over Toni's mouth and she finally broke their eye contact to give Shelby a soft kiss. Then she kissed her cheek, trailing her lips to Shelby's neck where she pressed more quick, wet kisses. 

  


The sound of her kisses matched the sound of the wetness between Shelby's legs as Toni fucked her, sliding her finger out before pushing another in, Shelby moaning at the stretch of the additional finger. Shelby still had her hand on Toni's wrist, the feeling of Toni's arm moving against her making her feel dirty. She gripped it tighter. 

  


"You're so fucking beautiful, God." Toni whispered through her kisses against Shelby's neck. It set Shelby on fire. 

  


Shelby's other hand slid up Toni's back into her hair. She let Toni kiss her neck for a moment longer and then tugged lightly on her hair to get her attention. Toni looked down at her again. 

  


"Please keep looking at me." Shelby begged, chasing the intensity of their eye contact. A low groan left Toni's throat and Shelby gasped as Toni's fingers pushed even deeper inside her. Ever single push of her fingers felt deeper than the last, was rougher than the last. 

  


Shelby was suddenly aware of every little feeling. The drag of her body as it moved ever so slightly as Toni fucked her against the grass under them, the delicious bite as Toni's fingers pushed as deep as they could inside her, the stretch as those fingers then scissored inside her every now and then, the deep aching pull in her stomach when Toni curled them, the little drop of sweat falling from Toni's chin onto her neck, the pull of her skin against Toni's forehead, the little bit of cold, damp hair falling from Toni's head onto her hot skin, Toni's body on fire on top of her, Toni's hot breath against her lips and Toni's soft lips pressing against hers. 

  


Shelby's hand left Toni's hair, falling down her back where she dug her nails harshly into Toni's skin causing Toni to hiss against her lips. When Toni sped her fingers up again with a grunt, Shelby finally let go of her wrist and dropped her hand between her legs. She stroked her fingers over her own clit only twice before she was coming. She broke eye contact, her head falling back, moaning so loud that she'd get embarrassed about it later.

  


Toni pressed down against her as she shook, her back arching off the ground, burying her face in Shelby's neck, kissing and kissing before moving to Shelby's ear. She pressed another kiss against it as Shelby's nails dragged down her back, whispering, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

  


Shelby was still coming when she whispered it, no control over her body, shaking, her fingers digging harshly into Toni's skin but she managed to huff out a strangled "I love you" back. 

  


Toni grinned against the side of her face. 

  


  


///

  


The next morning Toni and Shelby walked back across the beach to their friends, hand in hand. They decided, now that they'd told each other how they really felt, that it was time to tell everyone else. They prepared themselves for a bombardment of questions and disbelief. They discussed in depth what they'd say to everyone as they walked back from the lychee tree. So, they were very surprised to be met with a roar of laughter and cheers from the group as they stood, hands clasped together in front of them. 

  


Toni squinted awkwardly in the sun and Shelby gave an nervous chuckle as she looked around at the other girls.

  


When the laughter still continued a few seconds later, Toni looked to Shelby who was as confused as she was. 

  


"Oh please, I practically fucking set you bitches up!" Fatin was the first to address their confusion. 

  


"You literally say her name in your sleep...like every single day." Leah stated matter-of-factly at Toni who flushed. 

  


"Oh come on!" Toni groaned in embarrassment, slapping a hand to her face. Shelby laughed along with everyone else but her stomach fluttered at the information. She squeezed Toni's hand, shuffling closer to her so their shoulders were touching. Toni made a mental note to not nap anywhere near Leah during the day. 

  


"Shelby's tits were totally covered in hickey's once." Dot informed them coolly, taking her turn to explain their lack of confusion and then raised her hands in innocence when Toni raised an eyebrow. "What? We were doing laundry, she changed and it was hard to miss!"

  


It was Shelby's turn to be embarrassed. 

  


"Girl's got a clear left tit preference." Dot muttered when the laughter died down again. 

  


"Fucking left tit preference." Toni scoffed then cringed but couldn't stop the laugh from crawling up her throat. 

  


"Skinny dipping." Rachel looked between Shelby and Toni, still holding hands in front of them. "That's all I gotta say, gay as shit."

  


"Come on Toni, I know you." It was Martha's turn to explain. She gave her friend a knowing smile and a knowing look which both turned apologetic before she spoke. "You were totally already crushing on the plane."

  


Martha's words were met with cheers and an eruption of laughter from the rest of the girls. Shelby grinned from ear to ear, tucking her face to her chest to try to hide it. 

  


"Martyyyyy." Toni groaned, throwing her head back, untangling her hand from Shelby's to cover her face. "Why are you all fucking tearing my ass?"

  


"Like Shelby is any better." Fatin cut through the noise. "Girl was meant to be poppin' a pill in your mouth, I thought she was gonna ride your fucking face."

  


"Fatin!" Shelby gasped and now it was Toni's turn to grin. 

  


The noise and laughter died down and Toni and Shelby were about to get off the metaphorical stage they had been placed on and join their friends around the fire when Nora cleared her throat. She looked up from flickering through the pages of her notebook for the information she needed. 

  


"12 days ago, I kinda saw Shelby fucking Toni in the forest...." 

  


Both Toni and Shelby groaned in embarrassment as the rest of the group fell into hysterical laughter after a shocked silent second. The memory Nora was talking about flashed back into their minds. Shelby turned into Toni, burying her head into her shoulder, her hands covering her face, mortified. Toni joined everyone else in laughing, wrapping her arms around Shelby, rocking them softly in the spot they stood as she laughed. 

  


Toni caught Fatin's eye as the laughter died down. Fatin smiled sweetly at her, popped her head in pride, then winked. 

  


"I need to know if you'd already fucked or not when Shelby picked you as her last resort sex option." Fatin very seriously asked them, expecting an immediate answer.

  


"Okay, this is too much..." Shelby threw her hands up, laughing an embarrassed laugh. 

  


"I need to know!” Fatin whined, slapping her knees. She huffed when Shelby turned away.

  


"Tell me!" She pleaded with Toni who just laughed. 

  


"Tell me!" She shouted again, getting to her feet and chasing after Toni who'd turned and started running off in the other direction. "I need to know if you'd fucked yet!" 

  


Shelby grinned, happier than she had ever been, watching Toni dip and dive away from Fatin who chased her in circles around the fire.

  



End file.
